Rescuers Suspend Recovery of Eight Victims After Sierra Avalanche

Search teams suspended recovery operations for eight victims after blizzard conditions created whiteout visibility in the Sierra Nevada mountains.The disaster occurred near Lake Tahoe when a massive avalanche struck a group of 15 backcountry skiers on February 17.Shannan Moon and Rusty Greene reported that wind gusts reaching 45 miles per hour have made the terrain too unstable to remove bodies safely.This event is the deadliest avalanche in the USA since 1981, claiming lives from Blackbird Mountain Guides and the Sugar Bowl Academy.