3 People Killed And Up To 8 Missing After Avalanche Near Washington Ski Resort SEATTLE - Three people died and as many as eight others are missing after an avalanche near a Washington state ski resort, authorities said. King County sheriff's Sgt. Cindi West said her office began receiving word about the avalanche near the Stevens Pass ski area just after noon Sunday. Stevens Pass is in the Cascade Mountains northeast of Seattle. West initially said two people had died but later confirmed there were three deaths. She said the deaths occurred in an out-of-bounds area near the resort. Rescue crews were en route. The Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center on Sunday issued a warning for high avalanche danger for areas above 5,000 feet (1,500 meters). The elevation of the avalanche wasn't immediately known. Meanwhile, West also said a snowboarder was killed in a separate incident at the Alpental ski area east of Seattle. The snowboarder went over a cliff Sunday.