The Castle Peak area is shown in an aerial view on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, near Soda Springs, Calif.

A report on the deadliest-known California avalanche released March 31 contains new details about the events leading up to the tragedy and points to actions the group took that may have put them in danger. Also notable is the first reporting that some victims were wearing special airbags designed to protect individuals during an avalanche.

In the report released by the Colorado Avalanche Information Center and the National Avalanche Center, the authors compiled a comprehensive account of the avalanche that killed nine people returning from a backcountry ski trip on Feb. 17. The report also referenced a New York Times article in which two survivors recounted the avalanche and the preceding days in detail. No other survivors spoke to the authors of the new report before it was released.

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In the hours before the fatal event, the Sierra Avalanche Center listed the risk of avalanche as high thanks in part to conditions earlier in the season in which dry weather was followed by........

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