Authorities discovered a strong-smelling odor thought to be poison.
Experts say a "snow drought" in Northern California's Sierra Nevada helped set the stage for Tuesday's deadly avalanche.
The group of skiers involved in the deadly avalanche in California's Sierra Nevada Mountains includes parents of students at a ski academy.
It is the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. since 1981, when 11 climbers were killed on Mount Rainier, Washington.
First responders originally said 16 people were on the trip, but now say only 15 were there. The Sheriff's Office says nine people are missing as of Tuesday night.
A 26-year-old Los Angeles man has been identified as a skier who died near Lake Tahoe last week, authorities confirmed.