Avalanche at Palisades Tahoe resort as winter storm hits California

A popular ski resort near Lake Tahoe was shut down as search crews combed the mountain following an avalanche Wednesday morning, officials said.

The avalanche at the Palisades Tahoe resort occurred about 9:30 a.m. above the G.S. Gully area of the KT-22 peak, the resort said in a statement. Patrol and mountain operations teams began a search, and all lifts on both the Palisades and Alpine Meadows sides of the mountain resort were closed.

Placer County sheriff’s deputies also responded to the incident in Olympic Valley, authorities said on social media. Representatives from Palisades Tahoe and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Times.

There are “no confirmed reports” of people trapped, Sgt. David Smith, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, told the Associated Press. It was not clear whether anyone was injured.

The avalanche came as one of the strongest storms to hit California so far this winter is expected to drop 12 to 18 inches of snow across the Lake Tahoe area between Wednesday and Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A winter storm warning has been issued for those communities, including Truckee and South Lake Tahoe.

Elevations above 7,000 feet west of Highway 89 could get 18 to 24 inches of snow, while the highest mountain peaks could see up to 30 inches of snow.

Wind gusts are also expected to reach as high as 50 mph in lower elevations and 90 to 110 mph along the Sierra Nevada ridges. Travel could be impossible; morning and evening commutes are expected to be affected.

Southern California could see winds as high as 80 mph as residents brace for an onslaught of chilly weather.

The low-pressure system moving across the region Wednesday into Thursday will bring cold temperatures, strong winds, mountain snow and the chance for showers, according to the National Weather Service.

A high wind warning will be in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday for portions of southwest California, including Santa Catalina and Santa Barbara islands, the Santa Clarita Valley, the Malibu coast, the western Santa Monica Mountains, the San Fernando Valley, the western San Gabriel Mountains and the eastern Antelope Valley foothills.

Winds could reach 30 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 80 mph possible in isolated areas, posing a risk to trees and power lines. People should avoid being outside around tree branches and stay in the lower levels of their home during the windstorm, officials said.

A winter storm warning has also been issued for the northern Ventura County mountains and the Interstate 5 corridor, including the Tejon Pass, from 4 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday, according to the weather service. Light to moderate snow is expected, with total accumulations of 2 to 5 inches. Winds could reach 60 to 70 mph, with isolated gusts up to 80 mph possible. Travel could be dangerous, with the strong winds causing tree damage and almost zero visibility.

Early Wednesday, before the storm hit, a crash involving two big rigs snarled traffic on the southbound Interstate 5 through the Grapevine. Officers responded to the crash around 7:45 a.m. near Smokey Bear Road, shutting down all but the left lane, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log. The cause of the crash was not clear, but winds were only about 10 mph Wednesday morning.

The storm will bring a chance of rain showers and snow in lower-elevation areas near Kern County, but totals are expected to be under 3 inches of snow and under a tenth of an inch of rain.

It’s expected to dry up by Thursday morning, although windy conditions could still continue through the late morning.

A surfer struggles to paddle against strong currents in Huntington Beach on Jan. 4.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The weather service also issued a coastal flood advisory for beaches in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Large, breaking waves could reach 10 to 15 feet Wednesday and 12 to 17 feet Thursday, along with dangerous rip currents.

Flooding is likely during high tide, especially over low-lying coastal areas such as beaches, walkways and parking lots, just weeks after the coast was battered by heavy rainfall, flooding and rogue waves in December storms.

A popular ski resort near Lake Tahoe was shut down as search crews combed the mountain following an avalanche Wednesday morning, officials said.

The avalanche at the Palisades Tahoe resort occurred about 9:30 a.m. above the G.S. Gully area of the KT-22 peak, the resort said in a statement. Patrol and mountain operations teams began a search, and all lifts on both the Palisades and Alpine Meadows sides of the mountain resort were closed.

Placer County sheriff’s deputies also responded to the incident in Olympic Valley, authorities said on social media. Representatives from Palisades Tahoe and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Times.

There are “no confirmed reports” of people trapped, Sgt. David Smith, a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, told the Associated Press. It was not clear whether anyone was injured.

The avalanche came as one of the strongest storms to hit California so far this winter is expected to drop 12 to 18 inches of snow across the Lake Tahoe area between Wednesday and Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. A winter storm warning has been issued for those communities, including Truckee and South Lake Tahoe.

Elevations above 7,000 feet west of Highway 89 could get 18 to 24 inches of snow, while the highest mountain peaks could see up to 30 inches of snow.

Wind gusts are also expected to reach as high as 50 mph in lower elevations and 90 to 110 mph along the Sierra Nevada ridges. Travel could be impossible; morning and evening commutes are expected to be affected.

Southern California could see winds as high as 80 mph as residents brace for an onslaught of chilly weather.

The low-pressure system moving across the region Wednesday into Thursday will bring cold temperatures, strong winds, mountain snow and the chance for showers, according to the National Weather Service.

A high wind warning will be in effect from 6 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday for portions of southwest California, including Santa Catalina and Santa Barbara islands, the Santa Clarita Valley, the Malibu coast, the western Santa Monica Mountains, the San Fernando Valley, the western San Gabriel Mountains and the eastern Antelope Valley foothills.

Winds could reach 30 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 80 mph possible in isolated areas, posing a risk to trees and power lines. People should avoid being outside around tree branches and stay in the lower levels of their home during the windstorm, officials said.

A winter storm warning has also been issued for the northern Ventura County mountains and the Interstate 5 corridor, including the Tejon Pass, from 4 p.m. Wednesday until noon Thursday, according to the weather service. Light to moderate snow is expected, with total accumulations of 2 to 5 inches. Winds could reach 60 to 70 mph, with isolated gusts up to 80 mph possible. Travel could be dangerous, with the strong winds causing tree damage and almost zero visibility.

Early Wednesday, before the storm hit, a crash involving two big rigs snarled traffic on the southbound Interstate 5 through the Grapevine. Officers responded to the crash around 7:45 a.m. near Smokey Bear Road, shutting down all but the left lane, according to a California Highway Patrol incident log. The cause of the crash was not clear, but winds were only about 10 mph Wednesday morning.

The storm will bring a chance of rain showers and snow in lower-elevation areas near Kern County, but totals are expected to be under 3 inches of snow and under a tenth of an inch of rain.

It’s expected to dry up by Thursday morning, although windy conditions could still continue through the late morning.

A surfer struggles to paddle against strong currents in Huntington Beach on Jan. 4.

(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

The weather service also issued a coastal flood advisory for beaches in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. Large, breaking waves could reach 10 to 15 feet Wednesday and 12 to 17 feet Thursday, along with dangerous rip currents.

Flooding is likely during high tide, especially over low-lying coastal areas such as beaches, walkways and parking lots, just weeks after the coast was battered by heavy rainfall, flooding and rogue waves in December storms.