Avalanche strikes California ski resort, once hosted Winter Olympics: 1 died, 3 injured
Avalanche strikes California ski resort (Getty Images)
A big snowslide rushed down part of a difficult skiing area in a California resort Palisades Tahoe, known for the 1960 Winter Olympics, on Wednesday, January 10. It caught four people, and unfortunately, one person died, according to AP News.
This happened as a heavy storm with snow and strong winds hit the area.
Kenneth Kidd, 66, from Truckee and Point Reyes, was identified as the person who died. One person had a leg injury, and two others were treated for injuries and released.
The avalanche happened around 9:30 a.m., causing the Palisades Tahoe resort to close. The incident occurred under the K-22 lift, which had just opened for the season and serves advanced skiers and snowboarders on challenging slopes. The avalanche covered an area about 150 feet wide, 450 feet long, and 10 feet deep.
The avalanche occurred on steep slopes in the GS Gully area. Ski patrols had been monitoring avalanche conditions since Sunday. The cause is under investigation, and it occurred as a powerful storm was expected to bring up to 2 feet of snow to the highest elevations.
Palisades Tahoe is on the west side of Lake Tahoe. The avalanche took place during gusty winds at the resort's top. This incident marks the first avalanche fatality of the U.S. season, according to the Colorado Avalanche Information Center. In 2020, an avalanche at Alpine Meadows killed one person, and in 1982, another avalanche at the same resort killed seven people.
