A ski patrol officer was killed this morning at Tahoe's Squaw Valley resort during "avalanche control activities," closing the resort for the day according to a statement from a representative of the ski mountain. The fatal incident reportedly took place at 8:35 a.m. and the patroller has not been identified to the public pending family notification.

Update: According to the Reno Gazette-Journal, the ski patroller has been identified as Joe Zuiches, 42, of Olympic Valley. The incident was not related to an avalanche specifically, and CBS 13 Sacramento writes that it was a denotation of an explosive charge that killed Zuiches as he did avalanche control at the top of Gold Coast Ridge. The incident is being investigated by the North Tahoe Fire Department and the Placer County Sheriff's Office.

"The team at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows is deeply saddened by this tragic event and would like to express our deepest sympathies to the family and friends affected," the representative writes. "An investigation is underway, and additional updates will be provided as they become available."

The Lake Tahoe area, which includes Squaw Valley and the related Alpine Meadows resort on the lake's north side, have received record snowfall this month. Yesterday, for example, Kirkwood Mountain Resort was celebrating 400 inches of snowfall in January compared to the 450 inches over last year's entire season. Meanwhile, the Squaw Valley Fire Department issued avalanche warnings due to the large amounts of snow, much of it wet and heavy, that had fallen atop lighter layers from previous storms. The North Tahoe Fire Department reported early Monday that it had rescued two vehicles from under an avalanche on State Route 89, between Alpine and Squaw.

Avalanche warnings remain in effect, and Squaw Valley is closed for the day. Parts of Alpine Meadows are open, and you can see those here.

Previously: Tahoe Area Seeing More Snow Than It Has In 20 Years; Cars Trapped In Avalanche Near Alpine