A ski resort near California's Lake Tahoe reopened Thursday, a day after a 66-year-old skier was killed when an avalanche roared down the mountain's steep slopes, the first fatal avalanche accident in the U.S. this winter.
Palisades Tahoe's iconic KT-22 lift, which serves the area where the avalanche occurred, helped crews clear the road so snowmobiles and snowmobiles could enter sections primarily traveled by experts. It was decided to remain closed while work was carried out.
Other lifts are scheduled to open after this date, which will be a “strict snow safety date,” the resort said in a statement. The opening of the adjacent Alpine Meadows elevator was also expected to be delayed to allow staff to assess all terrain.
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Four people were swept away and one died as storms blanketed the area when the avalanche occurred around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. The debris field was about 150 feet (46 meters) wide, 450 feet (137 meters) long and 10 feet (3 meters) deep, according to the Placer County Sheriff's Office.
Palisades, site of the 1960 Winter Olympics, is located on the west side of Lake Tahoe, approximately 40 miles (64 km) from Reno, Nevada.
The sheriff's office identified the person killed as Kenneth Kidd, 66, a resident of the Truckee and Point Reyes neighborhood. One person suffered injuries to his lower legs, and two others were treated for unspecified injuries and released, officials said.
An avalanche occurred in Tahoe, California on January 10, 2024, forcing the Palisades Tahoe ski lift to close. (AP Photo/Andy Barron)
The fatality was the first avalanche fatality in the United States this season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
The Sierra Avalanche Center's Thursday forecast for the central Sierra backcountry predicted continued dangerous avalanche conditions.
“The new snow and strong winds added to the existing weak layer within the snowpack,” the forecast said.
The KT-22 lift opened for the first time this season just 30 minutes before the avalanche. According to the resort's website, 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) of snow is expected to fall on Tuesday, and Wednesday is expected to start with snow showers, followed by heavy snow with strong wind gusts. The resort said 14 inches (35.5 centimeters) had fallen on Wednesday.
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The website said Monday, noting plans to open KT-22 and another lift on Wednesday, saying, “Even with the help of more than 2 feet (62 centimeters) of snow on the summit in recent days, these two lifts… A lot of effort has gone into the preparations.” ” the post said. The existing snow was characterized by a light density.
Michael Gross, vice president of mountain operations, said the team is evaluating the situation based on expertise and historical data before deciding it is safe to open an area.
“You know, we have decades of weather data available and referenced all the time, so we look at the current forecast, we look at all the different models, we look at wind speed, snow density, wind direction. ,” Gross told reporters Wednesday. . “There are a lot of things involved, and the people who work on this work are real experts in their field. Most of them have been working on this work for 10 to 20 years, some for over 50 years. Some people are working, but they’re just making predictions.”
Over the past decade, avalanches have killed an average of about 24 people in the U.S. each year, ranging from a low of 11 in 2014-15 to a high of 37 in 2021-22, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
An avalanche at Alpine Meadows in 2020 killed one skier and seriously injured another the day after a major storm. Another avalanche occurred at the resort in March 1982, killing seven people, including several employees.
Forecasters say most avalanches occur during or immediately after heavy snowstorms, high winds, or sudden increases in temperature. Snow can occur any time there is snow accumulation on slopes steeper than about 30 degrees, and can be caused by human movement through the area, but more often due to the weight of overhanging snow or It can also be caused by natural phenomena caused by wind.
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Amid recent avalanches at ski resorts, the U.S. Forest Service announced that in 2019 a skier in northern New Mexico caused an avalanche that led to his death and the death of another skier. The service revealed that there was little the resort could have done to prevent it. The agency's review concluded that Taos Ski Valley officials were following operating procedures, including detailed snow safety protocols that accompany daily decisions on whether to open lifts and slopes.
Most skiers and snowboarders get caught in avalanches in the backcountry outside of actual ski resorts. There, staff are closely monitoring the situation within the perimeter.
In fact, the Sierra Avalanche Center's daily forecasts only cover avalanche conditions in remote areas where mitigation measures are not in place.
“Avalanches that occur within ski area boundaries are outside the scope of our work. For this reason, we do not comment on avalanches that occur within ski area boundaries,” said Brandon Avalanche Center's Tahoe Avalanche Forecast Chief. Schwartz said. the National Forest said in an email to The Associated Press.
