California Today: After Avalanche Warnings, a Sierra Nevada Tragedy

February 19, 2026, 6:31 a.m. Pacific time

Today’s Top Story

Max Whittaker for The New York Times

After Avalanche Warnings, a Sierra Nevada Tragedy

Eight skiers were killed and one other was presumed dead in the deadliest snow disaster in modern California history. Six were found alive.

Top Concern in Avalanche Recovery Effort Is Now Safety of Searchers

Weather and snow conditions will dictate when the bodies of skiers killed in the avalanche near Lake Tahoe can be retrieved from mountain. More snow is expected.

What We Know About the Victims of the Avalanche

Many of the people on the fatal trek had ties to a ski-focused private school, Sugar Bowl Academy, in the Sierra Nevada.

The Worst Avalanches in Recent North American History

With at least eight people dead, Tuesday’s avalanche in California was one of the deadliest in the last five decades.

Bernie Sanders Urges Support of California Billionaire Tax at Los Angeles Rally

The senator from Vermont was the only elected leader at the event, which formally kicked off a health care union’s campaign to put the tax proposal on the ballot.

Alysa Liu Is Skating Again, Her Way This Time

At 16, out of love with the sport, Liu stepped away. Controlling her career, after years of oversight from her father, was the only way she could return.

JD Vance Insinuates American-born Eileen Gu Should Be Representing U.S. at Olympics

With her two silver medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, Eileen Gu has become the most decorated female freestyle skier in Olympic history. The San Francisco-born Stanford University alum has won five medals (two gold, three silver) while representing China, where her mother is from.

Edison Will Reduce Executive Bonuses as a Result of the Eaton Fire

Southern California Edison had said its electrical equipment most likely caused the blaze, which destroyed much of Altadena, a Los Angeles suburb.

As Trump Obliterates Climate Efforts, States Try to Fill the Gap

Across the country, Democratic-led states are accelerating their initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Their role just became much more important.