The three missing skiers who were reportedly buried under up to 100 feet of snow after an avalanche in the Alaska backcountry earlier this week have been identified, Alaska State Troopers said Thursday.

Troopers identified the three missing skiers caught in the avalanche as David Linder, Charles Eppard and Jeremy Leif.

Poor weather prevented Alaska State Troopers, avalanche experts and recovery teams from reaching the slide near Girdwood, about 40 miles (54 kilometers) south of Anchorage, on Wednesday, troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel said. Officials said they were optimistic that weather conditions would improve enough for flights on Thursday.