Search teams are scouring the back country near California’s Lake Tahoe for nine skiers still missing after an avalanche.
The avalanche was reported near Castle Peak in Nevada County, north of Boreal Mountain Ski Resort, around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday as a heavy snowstorm moved through Northern California, bringing blizzard conditions to higher elevations.
A total of 15 backcountry skiers were involved in the avalanche, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office reported, with six of those people surviving and being rescued from the site.
Map of the area where the Feb. 17 avalanche took place.Â
Nine people from that group remain missing as of Wednesday morning, officials said. Search efforts intensified on Wednesday as crews looked to take advantage of a break in the weather.
Blackbird Mountain Guides stated that the group was returning from a three-day trip at Frog Lake. The group included four ski guides and 12 clients, the company said.
Of the six people rescued, the sheriff’s office said two have been hospitalized for treatment.
An Avalanche Warning, with the danger rated as “high,” was in effect at the time of Tuesday’s incident, according to the Sierra Avalanche Center.
Authorities will be holding a press conference around 11 a.m. PT on Wednesday to talk about the latest information about the search effort. The press conference will be streamed on CBS News Sacramento.Â