April 1898 – Roughly 65 people die in a series of snow‑slide accidents on the Chilkoot Trail during the Klondike Gold Rush, marking one of the deadliest early‑era avalanche disasters in North America [16].

Early 1900s – A massive snow‑wall collapse forces two Great Northern passenger trains into a gorge, killing 96 people and illustrating the historic lethality of avalanche‑related rail accidents [16].

1981 – An ice avalanche on Ingraham Glacier in Washington kills ten climbers and their guide, remaining the deadliest U.S. mountaineering avalanche before the 2026 Lake Tahoe event [16].

Dec 27 2025 – Four hikers (three men, one woman) are found dead after an avalanche sweeps them from a steep slope near Korakas peak in Greece’s Vardousia Mountains; rescue teams struggle with low visibility and extreme cold [5].

Dec 29 2025 – Cole Murphy, a 30‑year‑old ski patroller, dies from injuries sustained during avalanche mitigation work on Lincoln Mountain at Mammoth Mountain, prompting a day‑long resort closure [12].

Jan 11 2026 – A backcountry avalanche southwest of Leavenworth, Washington, carries four skiers; two men are confirmed dead while two survive after rescue teams pull them from the slide [23].

Jan 12 2026 – Two men are identified as victims of the Longs Pass avalanche (Paul Markoff, 38, and Erik Henne, 43); two other skiers survive using a Garmin satellite device to call for help [22].

Jan 17 2026 – Five skiers die in two separate avalanches in Austria’s Salzburg region: four fatalities and two injuries in the Gastein Valley, plus a female skier killed in Bad Hofgastein [8].

Jan 17 2026 – Eight people are killed in Austrian avalanches in Pongau and Pusterwald, including four deaths near Finsterkopf and three Czech skiers buried in Pusterwald; rescue chiefs stress the ongoing danger [4].

Jan 18 2026 – Three avalanches across Austria kill eight skiers (a female skier in Bad Hofgastein, four in the Gastein Valley, and three Czech tourists in Pusterwald); officials cite heavy snowfall and repeated warnings [11].

Jan 31 2026 – Seven skiers rescued after a sub‑zero storm near Aspen forces them onto an exposed ridge; all suffer frostbite and one requires medical evacuation, while volunteer rescuers provide fire and warmth [21].

Feb 17 2026 (11:30 a.m.) – A D2.5 “football‑field‑sized” avalanche strikes the Castle Peak backcountry near Truckee, burying a 15‑person guided group; the Sierra Avalanche Center had issued a watch at 6:49 a.m. and upgraded it to a warning hours before departure [10][15].

Feb 17 2026 (≈6 h later) – Six skiers sheltering in tents are rescued after six hours in a blizzard; eight bodies are later recovered and a ninth skier remains missing, making the slide California’s deadliest avalanche and the deadliest U.S. event since 1981 [14][15][18][20].

Feb 18 2026 – Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon announces the operation shifts to recovery for the eight victims, while extreme weather forces crews to halt body retrieval and keep the slope inaccessible [9][6].

Feb 18 2026 – Governor Gavin Newsom calls the disaster a “horrible tragedy” on X, underscoring the statewide impact of the avalanche [7].

Feb 18 2026 – Blackbird Mountain Guides suspends all field trips through at least Feb 22 and begins an internal investigation into its safety protocols [6][13].

Feb 18 2026 – The Sierra Avalanche Center warns that large avalanches may continue through Wednesday, urging the public to avoid backcountry terrain [3].

Feb 18 2026 – Forecasts predict an additional 1–4 feet of snow Wednesday night‑Thursday, further destabilizing the snowpack and delaying recovery efforts [6].

Feb 19 2026 – Sheriff Capt. Russell “Rusty” Greene recounts a witness shouting “Avalanche!” as the slide overtook the party, confirming the rapid onset of the event [20].

Feb 19 2026 – Washington father Jasper Boas says the Lake Tahoe tragedy reinforces his safety focus for his children, noting that “avalanches happen, and even the most seasoned veterans… can get caught up in that” [19].

Feb 19 2026 – Northwest Avalanche Center forecaster Dallas Glass warns that a heavy‑snow system expected next week could raise Cascades danger, urging travelers to check nightly forecasts [19].

Feb 19 2026 – Blackbird Mountain Guides announces a pause on all guided trips while supporting victims’ families and reviewing avalanche‑bag usage, noting that survivors used beacons but the presence of airbags remains unclear [13].

Feb 19 2026 (future) – Officials hope a brief weather reprieve on Friday‑Saturday will allow limited body recovery, though additional storms could prolong the high‑danger period [6].