A trio of skiers is likely buried under an avalanche near Anchorage, Alaska, that occurred Tuesday afternoon, but dangerous backcountry conditions have so far stymied recovery operations, officials announced.

The three men killed Tuesday by a massive avalanche during a guided heli-skiing trip in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood came together in Alaska after meeting years ago in Minnesota.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers said an avalanche buried three skiers under a blanket of snow between 40 and 100 feet deep in a small resort town.

Girdwood is a tourist community that caters to winter events, with downhill skiing and snowboarding at the Alyeska Resort in a spectacularly scenic location. After a gondola ride 3,200 feet (975 meters) up Mount Alyeska, diners can view seven glaciers from the restaurant named for that view.

Three people are feared to be dead after being buried by a large avalanche while on a guided heli-skiing trip near Girdwood, Alaska, authorities said. (Dreamstime) Three skiers identified Thursday as feared killed in an Alaskan avalanche had Minnesota connections.

This is Alaska’s first fatal avalanche reported this season. It is also the country’s deadliest since February 2023.

Efforts to recover the three men who died in an avalanche Tuesday while they were on a guided heli-ski trip in the Chugach Mountains near Girdwood were halted because of dangerous conditions and difficult terrain — and may not resume until conditions improve,

It appears to be the first fatal avalanche this winter in Alaska and the country's deadliest since an avalanche in Washington's Cascade Mountains killed three climbers in 2023.

Dangerous avalanche conditions in the area persist, stalling recovery efforts and prompting warnings from forecasters.

Multiple heli-skiers were trapped in an avalanche near Girdwood, Alaska, on Tuesday afternoon, and a search effort is underway to rescue them despite deep snow complicating recovery efforts