Climate-driven snow drought set stage for deadly California avalanche, experts say

Eight skiers were found dead, six were rescued and one is still missing after avalanche in Sierra Nevada mountains

The many weeks of a worrying snow drought in the western US is driven by the climate crisis and helped set the stage for the deadly avalanche this week in the Sierra Nevada mountains of northern California, according to experts.

Perilous avalanches are not uncommon in the region, according to the National Avalanche Center, which maintains a map of locations where avalanche danger is highest, and the risk is now particularly high in the Lake Tahoe area.

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