Perry Peak Avalanche

3/3/26 Update

Today marks two weeks since the avalanche at Perry Peak in the Castle Peak area. The magnitude of this tragedy is difficult to put into words, and its impact continues to be deeply felt throughout our community. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all those affected.

The Sierra Avalanche Center is in the process of completing an incident report. The preliminary results present findings on the snowpack conditions and terrain characteristics from two site visits by Sierra Avalanche Center forecasters. However, given the scale of this event, information regarding the people and decisions involved will require further time. The outpouring of compassion and support we have seen throughout the community has been truly remarkable. Thank you for your patience as we navigate this sensitive process.

As with all accidents, we hope to learn something to help prevent future accidents. It is our mission to set the standard for avalanche forecasting and awareness in the Tahoe region by sharing knowledge and lessons learned. Our vision is to build a community where everyone comes home safe. As we gather and carefully review information we will provide announcements and update the report to more fully reflect the complexity of this accident.

During this time, please stay safe in the backcountry, read the forecast, and continue to support those affected.

We would like to recognize and thank the many groups involved in the response, rescue and avalanche mitigation: 

Nevada County Sheriff’s Office; Nevada County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue; Placer County Sheriff’s Office; Tahoe Nordic Search and Rescue; Washoe County Sheriff’s Office; Washoe County Search and Rescue; California’s Governor’s Office of Emergency Services; California Highway Patrol Air Operations; Care Flight Truckee, a service of REMSA Health; Pacific Gas & Electric; United States Forest Service; California State Parks; Truckee Fire; OpenSnow; Tahoe Donner’s Alder Creek Adventure Center; Boreal Mountain Ski Resort; Truckee Tahoe Airport; Town of Truckee; Truckee Police Department; Truckee Donner Land Trust; and California National Guard.