A look at the deadliest avalanches in US history

News > National News

This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff's Office via AP)

FILE - Dave McClelland, a tour operator in Skagway, Alaska, tells the story of people killed in an 1898 avalanche along the Chilkoot trail now buried in a cemetery in the abandoned gold-rush town of Dyea, Alaska, on June 8, 1997. (AP Photo/Dave Germain, File) — This image provided by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office shows members of a rescue team in Soda Springs, California on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Nevada County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Audio By Carbonatix

12:58 PM on Wednesday, February 18

By R.J. RICO

Eight backcountry skiers were found dead and one remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe, authorities said Wednesday. The avalanche in Northern California's Sierra Nevada mountains is one of the deadliest in U.S. history. Here's a look at the others:

1910: Wellington, Washington — 96 killed

A massive wall of snow swept two Great Northern passenger trains into a gorge, killing 96 people. The trains had been stuck on the tracks for days because of bad weather, and some passengers had trekked into town, likely saving their lives.

1898: Chilkoot Trail, Alaska — About 65 killed

In the most deadly event of the Klondike Gold Rush, a series of snow slides in April 1898 killed around 65 people on the Chilkoot Trail.

1981: Mount Rainier, Washington — 11 killed

Ten climbers and a guide were killed by a massive ice avalanche on the Ingraham Glacier, the most deadly mountaineering accident in U.S. history.

1962: Twin Lakes, Colorado — 7 killed

An avalanche wiped out several homes in the town of Twin Lakes near Independence Pass, killing seven residents, including five children.

1982: Alpine Meadows, California — 7 killed

An avalanche crashed into the Alpine Meadows Ski Resort near Lake Tahoe, killing seven people, including four resort employees who remained on site even though the resort had been closed for the day because of the dangerous conditions. A 22-year-old chairlift operator was rescued five days later after a specially trained dog found her in the remains of the ski chalet.