The skiers who died in an avalanche in California’s Lake Tahoe backcountry are said to have been part of a tight-knit group who often went on ski excursions together.

Eight people died after an avalanche struck near Castle Peak in the Sierra Nevada mountains on Tuesday, and rescue teams are searching for a ninth who is presumed dead.

Families named six of the victims on Thursday, saying “they were all mothers, wives and friends, all of whom connected through the love of the outdoors”. Six members of the 15-person ski group were rescued early this week.

The “football-field sized” avalanche – the deadliest in modern California history – hit during the popular “ski week” holidays in the state.

A satellite view of the mountainous Castle Peak area in the Sierra Nevada, California. Castle Peak is highlighted with a red label, and other marked locations include Alder Creek Adventure Center to the east, Boreal Mountain Ski Resort to the south, and Truckee further south east. An inset map in the upper right shows California’s position in the south west of the US

The identities of the six – all women – were shared by a family spokesperson with the BBC’s US media partner, CBS News. They are: Caroline Sekar, Liz Clabaugh, Carrie Atkin, Danielle Keatley, Kate Morse, and Kate Vitt, all from either the Bay Area, Idaho, or the Truckee-Tahoe region.

“We are devastated beyond words,” a statement from the families said.

“Our focus right now is supporting our children through this incredible tragedy and honoring the lives of these extraordinary women.”

The families have asked for privacy during this period of sudden grief.

Sekar, 45, of San Francisco, and Clabaugh, 52, of Boise, Idaho, were sisters, their brother told the New York Times.

McAlister Clabaugh, 50, said that many in the group of 11 skiers had been friends since university and would regularly meet for ski trips.

“These are two of the best people I’ve ever known,” Clabaugh said. “They were incredible sisters, mothers, wives and friends. And the idea that they are both gone is, I don’t even know how to put it into words.”

Max Perrey, the mayor of nearby Mill Valley, told local media that some of the 11 clients on the ski trip, including at least one who died, were mothers from his city, which is in nearby Marin County.

One of the deceased was the spouse of someone on one of the search-and-rescue teams, making continued rescue efforts “challenging emotionally”, according to Sheriff Wayne Woo, from neighbouring Placer County.

Three guides from the Blackbird Mountain Guides, who were leading the group back from a three-day backcountry skiing expedition, were killed in the avalanche, according to the company.

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Sugar Bowl Academy, a ski school in Placer County, California, said multiple members of its community had died in the avalanche but declined to identify them due to ongoing search efforts.

“Emergency responders are still working to recover all of the victims and are not at this time sharing the personal details of the victims and the survivors out of respect for the families affected,” the academy said.

“We are an incredibly close and connected community,” executive director Stephen McMahon said. “This tragedy has affected each and every one of us. The depth of support for the families whose lives have been changed forever reminds us of how special this community is.”

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The avalanche swept away 15 people who were making their way back from the ski trip.

Rescuers, stymied by inclement weather, so far have located the bodies of seven women and a man killed in the avalanche.

The extraction of the victims stalled on Thursday due to hazardous weather conditions, the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the search, said on Thursday.

Recovery efforts are expected to carry into the weekend. The Nevada County Sheriff’s Office said on Thursday that it is unable to confirm the identifications, ages, affiliations, or cities of origin for the victims until the recovery mission is completed.

The heavy snowstorm has prevented rescuers from transporting the bodies from the backcountry to a morgue in the nearby town of Truckee, Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Moon said the search continues for a second man from the group who is presumed dead.

Placer County Sheriff Woo has urged the public to avoid the Sierras, mountain travel and the backcountry during inclement weather over the next few days so that officials can focus on recovering the bodies.

On Thursday, the National Weather Service issued another winter weather advisory for the greater Lake Tahoe area that said another 6-12in (15-30cm) of snow is expected to accumulate in the Tahoe basin, with more at higher elevations.

Ridge winds were expected to gust as high as 45mph (72km/h) on Thursday evening, causing poor visibility and near whiteout conditions.

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