One killed and others injured after avalanche hits California ski resort

One person has been killed and another seriously injured in an avalanche that hit a California ski resort.

The avalanche struck the Alpine Meadows Ski resort west of Lake Tahoe on Friday morning, authorities said.

Search and rescue teams were dispatched at around 11.20am to the scene, near the Subway ski run, to look for those missing under the snow.

Placer Sherriff Department and the Tahoe Nordic Search & Rescue are at the scene.

At least a foot of snow fell at the ski resort in the 24 hours preceding the avalanche, with areas in the higher elevations picking up as much as two feet.

The Sierra Avalanche Center rated avalanche conditions Friday as “considerable” for all elevations.

The centre noted that a new layer of snow from this week’s storm brought a high degree of uncertainty to snowpack stability.

Deadly avalanches are not unusual at Alpine Meadows, local reports have said.

More to follow...