Avalanche Association Releases Sobering Statement on California Tragedy, Warns Skiers
The skiing world is reeling this week after eight skiers were confirmed to have died in an avalanche near Castle Peak, California, on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
You can read more about the developing story here.
The American Avalanche Association (AAA), a non-profit educational organization, published a lengthy statement about the tragedy.
"We are hurting alongside our professional avalanche colleagues and the entire winter recreation community," writes AAA. "Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims and the survivors of the Castle Peak avalanche near Truckee, CA."
Keep reading below for their full statement.
The AAA thanked the numerous first responders and offered a stark warning about current avalanche conditions across the Sierra:
"To those currently in the Sierra: the Sierra Avalanche Center continues to report HIGH avalanche danger. Please respect the current conditions, stay updated on local forecasts, and show gratitude to this dedicated team of professionals working hard throughout this storm cycle."
The Sierra Avalanche Center (SAC), which publishes daily avalanche forecasts for the region, has issued a special avalanche warning that is expected to last through Friday, February 20, 2026.
The warning for today is as follows: "Storm slabs will form today in both wind exposed and wind protected areas as another round of heavy snow and strong winds impact our forecast region. Uncertainty continues to exist with ongoing reactivity of buried weak layers under the large storm snow load. Potential continues to exist for large to very large avalanches occurring in the backcountry. Travel in, near, or below avalanche terrain is not recommended today."
In other words, it's not a good idea to travel in the backcountry at this time.
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POWDER will continue to cover the tragedy at Castle Peak as more details are revealed. Our thoughts and condolences are with the friends and families of the deceased at this time.