The devastating avalanche in the Castle Peak area of Nevada County, California, on February 17, 2026, has claimed at least eight lives, with one person still missing and presumed deceased, marking one of the deadliest backcountry avalanche incidents in the region in recent decades. The incident occurred in a remote, rugged backcountry zone north of Interstate 80 near Donner Summit, close to Truckee and the Lake Tahoe area. This is not a groomed ski resort but untamed terrain