At Least 8 Skiers Are Dead in Sierra Nevada Avalanche

“Due to the ongoing challenges of the weather, the avalanche conditions, the effort remains ongoing as well as our search for the remaining skier. But the weather is a factor.” “What we do understand is that it was about a football field in length. It resulted when a persistent weak layer had a large load of snow over the top of it. That persistent weak layer is still there and has reloaded with another three feet of snow. So the hazard remains high.” “They were able to locate the six survivors. They were sheltered. They had some equipment with them trying to not only stay warm, but they had medical issues as well. They had themselves already started looking for their teammates and their clients that were missing in the avalanche. They were able to locate three decedents.”