How common are avalanches in the Sierra Nevada? See 7 snowy disasters
Like earthquakes across California fault lines, avalanches are relatively common in the mountain ranges of the state.
On Wednesday, an avalanche hit Palisades Tahoe, a popular ski resort in the Sierra Nevada mountains, killing a man and injuring three other people. The flow of snow and rocks began above the GS gully area of KT-22, an expert-level lift.
“Avalanches occur in every steep, snowy and mountain environment,” Steve Reynaud, a forecaster at the Sierra Avalanche Center told The Sacramento Bee. “We get a lot of avalanches in the Tahoe area.”
According to Reynaud, the Tahoe area that the center oversees gets a total of about 15 to 40 avalanches each winter season.
However, not all avalanches get reported, he said.
How many avalanches has Sierra Nevada seen so far this season?
There are three avalanche centers in the Sierra Nevada mountains that collect reports on avalanches.
As of Thursday, the Sierra Avalanche Center, which covers the Tahoe area, had reported a total of 22 avalanches since the start of the current season on Sept. 1. Those reports include observations from the center’s personnel, professionals and the public.
That total does not yet include the deadly incident at Palisades Tahoe on Tuesday.
Recorded observations may not be comprehensive, the center said on its website, and some avalanches may not be on the list.
“We may not see avalanche activity due to poor visibility or lack of reporting,” the center said. “We may not record observed avalanches immediately due to our workload.”
The Bridgeport Avalanche Center, which monitors the Sonora Junction, Bridgeport and Willow Springs area, reported three avalanches from Sept. 1 to Thursday.
The Eastern Sierra Avalanche Center, which covers an area including Mammoth Lake, had reports of 18 avalanches in the same time frame.
How many avalanches have been reported since 2009?
The Sierra Avalanche Center has an archive of reported avalanches dating back to 2009. It was last updated in May.
From Dec. 30, 2009 to May 7, the center recorded 145 avalanche observations.
However, this number does not include a deadly 2020 avalanche at the popular Alpine Meadows ski resort.
See 7 significant avalanches in Sierra Nevada region
Here are seven significant avalanches that occurred in California’s Sierra Nevada region in recent years, according to The Bee’s archives.
Alpine Meadows
On Jan. 17, 2020, an avalanche killed a man and injured another person at Alpine Meadows ski resort near the northwest shore of Lake Tahoe.
Joe Zuiches, a ski patroller at Alpine Meadows, died in January 2017 after accidentally detonating a device that creates controlled avalanches.
This is the same resort where a deadly avalanche killed seven people in March 31, 1982.
Castle Peak
In December 2019, an avalanche was triggered by nine snowboarders at Castle Peak in Nevada County. One snowboarder was buried under snow and found unconscious during a rescue.
South Lake Tahoe
On Feb. 12, 2021, South Lake Tahoe resident Kyle Johnston was buried by an avalanche in South Lake Tahoe near Blue Lakes. He survived by jumping off a 100-foot cliff.
Palisades Tahoe
One person was seriously injured by an avalanche in March 2018 at Palisades Tahoe near the Olympic Lady chairlift.
Onion Valley
A Tahoe couple got caught in an avalanche in the Onion Valley area, about 120 miles east of Fresno, on April 30, 2020.
Donner Lake
In March 2021, a man plunged 900 feet to his death in Donner Lake after an overhanging edge of snow gave way beneath him, triggering an avalanche.
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