Tuesday’s avalanche tragedy comes as California’s Lake Tahoe and Sierra Nevada regions have been hit by a deadly winter.

On January 5, an avalanche near Johnson Peak and Castle Peak in Truckee, a similar location to Tuesday’s avalanche, buried a snowmobiler in snow and killed him.

On January 22, a hiker tragically died alone while climbing Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada after their friend decided to turn back due to treacherous conditions.

In late December, three hikers died on Mount Baldy, a 10,064-foot peak in the San Gabriel Mountains and one of the nation’s deadliest peaks, when winter weather struck.

Castle Peak, the area where the backcountry skiers got swept away by an avalanche on Tuesday, has a dark history.

The 9,110-foot mountain north of Donner Summit, is a popular backcountry skiing destination.

The summit, which can be perilous in snow, is named for the infamous Donner Party, a group of pioneers who resorted to cannibalism after getting trapped there in the winter of 1846-1847.

Pictured: An illustration depicting the Donner Party

CBS News’ Matt Gutman arrived three miles from the Castle Peak avalanche site area on Wednesday and declared that there was ‘significant concern’ for the wellbeing of the nine back country skiers who are currently missing.

Panning the video around the area, he noted that search and rescue personnel have to contend with several feet of snow and ‘miserable’ winter conditions in the Sierras in their efforts to find the missing people.

It snowed several inches more overnight in the area after the avalanche occurred.

The California Highway Patrol in Truckee, security advisors to the residents and visitors to Nevada, Placer, and Sierra counties, issued a warning on Instagram to residents and visitors on Wednesday morning following extreme winter weather.

The patrolman videos a snowy highway with clear blue skies hanging overhead, but said that drivers were still not out of the woods.

‘The skies are clear. Blue. Peaceful. Beautiful. Don’t let that fool you. The roads are still covered in ice, cold, and slick,’ CHP wrote.

‘I-80 is open in both directions over Donner Summit to passenger vehicles only under R-2 chain restrictions. More snowfall is expected later today. Winter isn’t done yet. Slow down and drive smart.’

A massive winter storm is sweeping across the US, bringing up to two feet of snow, blizzard warnings, and dangerous travel conditions to millions throughout the West.

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued winter storm warnings in California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, North Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, and Alaska, urging residents to stay off the roads as whiteout conditions are possible.

Blizzard warnings have been issued in Montana, South Dakota, and Minnesota, where wind gusts of up to 60 mph are expected to mix with several inches of snow to make travel impossible for anyone besides emergency vehicles.

The avalanche that swept away 15 skiers on Tuesday occurred near Lake Tahoe in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains.

According to Blackbird Mountain Guides, the skiers had been in the process of returning to the trailhead at the end of a three-day trip when the avalanche struck.

The group of backcountry skiers had been staying at the Frog Lake Backcountry Huts, a collection of remote cabins near the Castle Peak.

According to the Sierra Avalanche Center, the avalanche was reported by Perry Peak near Frog Lake/Castle Peak.

Several ski resorts around Lake Tahoe were closed on Tuesday due to the storm conditions that caused an avalanche that swept away a group of backcountry skiers.

Soda Springs, Boreal Mountain Resort, Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain all closed due to road conditions, heavy snowfall and deteriorating conditions on Tuesday.

An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a hill or mountainside caused by an unstable mass of snow breaking away from the slope.

Snow, rock, ice, soil and other materials slide down during an avalanche and can reach speeds of up to 100mph.

In 90 percent of avalanche incidents, the snow slides are triggered by the victim or someone in the victim’s party, according to the National Weather Service.

Pictured: Stock image of an avalanche

The Sierra Avalanche Center has warned of a continued risk of avalanches on Wednesday.

‘A large avalanche occurred yesterday in the Frog Lake/Castle Peak area involving a group of backcountry travelers,’ the group wrote,

‘Increased uncertainty exists with the ongoing reactivity of these buried weak layers under this large storm snow load.

‘The potential continues for large to very large avalanches occurring in the backcountry today. HIGH avalanche danger continues with travel in, near, or below avalanche terrain not recommended.’

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for much of the northern and central Sierra Nevada, forecasting heavy snow and wind gusts up to 55mph.

‘Lull in activity will continue through a majority of the day, with isolated to scattered snow in the mountains and foothills,’ NWS wrote on X.

‘Increasing precipitation late this afternoon and evening with heavy snow tonight and into tomorrow. Travel in the mountains is HIGHLY discouraged.’

The Sierra Avalanche Center issued an avalanche warning for the area in the Central Sierra Nevada, including the Greater Lake Tahoe region, starting at 5am PT Tuesday with large slides expected into Wednesday.

The town of Soda Springs, near where the avalanche took place, recorded at least 30 inches of snow during a 24-hour period, according to the Soda Springs Mountain Resort.

The dangerous conditions were caused by rapidly accumulating snow piling on fragile snowpack layers coupled with gale-force winds.

The storm wreaked havoc on roads from the Sierra Nevada to Sonoma County. Traffic was halted temporarily in both directions on I-80 over and around Donner Summit due to spinouts and crashes, the authorities reported.