Overview

• Frederic Dross, a South Lake Tahoe resident and solar industry worker, was killed in an avalanche near Powderhouse Peak on Monday.
• Dross was reported overdue by his wife, who found his car parked near the popular backcountry skiing area off Luther Pass.
• Friends discovered his body in the avalanche zone shortly after the report, but recovery efforts were delayed until Tuesday due to hazardous snow conditions.
• The Sierra Avalanche Center had warned of unstable snowpack following a heavy winter storm, which contributed to dangerous avalanche conditions.
• This incident marks the ninth avalanche-related death in the U.S. this season and the first in California this winter.