Due to the winter weather advisory in effect through 10pm, expect some snow and wind on the slopes. Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Matt Weiser, Sacramento Bee

Sacramento may be 100 miles from the ocean, but it’s still a community defined by water.

The past two weeks offered a powerful reminder, as both the Sacramento and American rivers have swelled substantially in response to a stormy December. Such high flows haven’t been seen since the winter of 2005-06.

For some, it’s an inconvenience. Parts of the American River Parkway bike path went underwater two weeks ago when releases from Folsom Dam were doubled – to 30,000 cubic feet per second – to make way for upstream runoff. This forced some bicycle commuters to find a detour.

For others, the high flows are a thrilling reminder that a little weather can give our normally glassy-smooth rivers a whole different character.

Dams may control the flow on most Central Valley rivers, but they can’t suppress everything Mother Nature dishes out.

“It seems like it’s unusual because we’ve had a fairly long dry spell,” said Rob Hartman, hydrologist in charge of the California-Nevada River Forecast Center, a branch of the National Weather Service in Sacramento.

“In reality,” he said, “you would expect this to happen several times each winter, and it’s not a problem. We’re just trending back toward normalcy.”

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Freshies to start the new year. Three inches fell in South Lake Tahoe overnight and it’s still coming down.

Read the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe, to know total on the slopes.

By Mike Campbell, Anchorage Daily News

Since she was a 13-year-old Anchorage teenager, Stacee Frost has embraced bow shooting.

Her father got Frost started using a traditional recurve bow. Before long, she moved up to a fire-engine red compound bow that she still owns. Nine years ago, she shot her first big-game animal, a Sitka blacktail deer on Kodiak Island.

Since then, bowhunting has taken Frost, 35, to hunting spots in Alaska and throughout the world, pursuing species as diverse as warthogs, wildebeest, Dall sheep and polar bears.

Now she’s among 10 finalists for the title of Most Extreme Huntress, a contest sponsored by Tahoe Films and the television show “Primal Adventures” that airs on the Versus cable channel. Contestants submitted essays about their experiences and the winner will earn a hunt valued at $20,000 for several exotic species with Frasier Safaris New Zealand.

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North Lake Tahoe celebrates its long winter season with SnowFest, a 10-day carnival March 2-11 at a variety of venues throughout North Lake Tahoe.

In its 31st year, SnowFest, presented by the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, is expected to draw thousands of attendees, with the majority of events free to spectators. New events include the Snow Fiesta in Kings Beach with its mariachi bands, authentic Mexican food served a la carte and piñatas; the Snow “What” Building Contest, where contestants build their most creative snow display; the Truckee River Winery Ice Carving Extravaganza with ice sculptures and games; as well as the adults-only Paws & Claws Pub Crawl starting in Incline Village and ending in the Crystal Bay casino corridor.

The annual favorites are back, along with expanded special events, including the Opening Night Ceremonies, Laser Show, Torchlight Parade and Fireworks at Squaw Valley (March 2), which has partnered with World Champion medalist and former alpine ski racer Daron Rahlves. Rahlves and his Olympic buddies will officially kick off SnowFest and the Rahlves’ Banzai Tour at the Opening Night Ceremonies. The tour, scheduled for March 3-4, is a race that combines mountain freeride action with ski and boarder cross strategy in a mad-dash race with stops at regional ski resorts with the winner taking home a significant cash prize.

Also scheduled is the Mamasake Extreme Food Challenge for those with a strong stomach; 22nd Annual Gar Woods Polar Bear Swim in Tahoe’s frigid waters; SnowFest Parades in Tahoe City and Kings Beach; Sunnyside Luau on the West Shore; the Great Ski Race, a 30-kilometer cross country race from Tahoe City to Truckee; Tahoe City’s Wacky Winter Human Bowling with snow saucers and inflatable pins and “Dog Pull”; the Dummy Downhill at Diamond Peak in Incline Village; the highly creative and 24th Annual Snow Sculpture Contest at Tahoe City’s River Ranch Lodge; Special Olympics Polar Plunge at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe; and the 4th annual Ta-Hoe Nalu Arctic Standup Paddleboard Race in Kings Beach.

For more information about SnowFest and a complete list of events, go online.

Lots of blue sky, lots of snow, lots of people — that’s the forecast for what you will find on the slopes today.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

New members of the Truckee River Watershed Council’s Together for the Truckee Society have pledged a total of $30,000 a year for the next five years. This achieves the full amount of the matching grant given by the Martis Fund.

The Martis Fund announced in May a matching grant worth $30,000 a year for five years. In the past seven months 22 individuals, families and businesses joined the society, providing valuable unrestricted funding for the Truckee River Watershed Council. Combined with the matching grant from the Martis Fund, this will result in a total of $300,000.

“I continue to be amazed and impressed with the effectiveness of the Truckee River Watershed Council,” Joanne Roubique, district ranger at the Truckee Ranger District said in a statement. “That so much excellent restoration has been done and that the group continues to attract funding from agencies, businesses and individuals as well as continuing to host one of the most effective volunteer programs around is a success story unlike any other.”

The Truckee River Watershed Council’s goal is to complete 40 priority restoration projects within the next 10 years, as well as continue monitoring and prevention projects.

If you are interested in learning more about the Together for the Truckee Society or the matching grant from the Martis Fund, contact Michele at (530) 550.8760.

The Martis Fund supports programs to secure open space, promote habitat restoration, and create workforce housing in the Martis Valley region. It was established in 2006 as a collaborative project of DMB/Highlands Group, Mountain Area Preservation Foundation, and Sierra Watch. For more, visit http://www.martisfund.org/.

Tour de California provides serious recreational cyclists the opportunity to ride a complete stage of the Amgen Tour of California — and the most challenging stage of the 2011 race at that.

Riders will cover the same route as the professionals on Stage 7 of the Amgen Tour of California, from Claremont to the Mt. Baldy Ski Area on May 7.

The actual race starts in South Lake Tahoe on May 15.

While extremely challenging and requiring a high level of fitness and mental toughness, there will be ample support on May 7 for the recreational rider to help athletes see if they have what it takes to ride the route of the Amgen Tour of California.

Details of the route will be available in January. For more information and to register, go online.

It’s going to be cold on the slopes, but all that fresh powder will get you warmed up.

Here is the ski report from Curtis Fong, the Guy from Tahoe.

By Elizabeth Karam, U.S. Ski Team

BORMIO, Italy -– Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H., led a U.S. trio into the top 20 with eighth in Wednesday’s Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhill in Bormio. Steven Nyman of Sundance, Utah, finished 11th and World Cup rookie Travis Ganong of Squaw Valley was 20th, while Austria’s Michael Walchhofer clinched the victory.

Known amongst the racers as one of the most strenuous, if not the most strenuous course on the World Cup circuit, the U.S. was up to the challenge. Nyman scored his best World Cup result since Val Gardena in 2008, while Ganong raced to a career best finish and first World Cup downhill points.

Despite having teammate Marco Sullivan of Squaw Valley injured in Tuesday’s downhill training, Miller, Nyman and Ganong showed their focus and strength on race day. Erik Fisher of Idaho and Andrew Weibrecht of Lake Placid were also on the injured reserve list with injuries sustained prior to Bormio.

Bormio first-timer Ganong admitted Bormio was the stop about which he was most nervous all season.

“This hill is crazy. It’s a real deal downhill, bumpy, fast, icy and dark. It’s just tough skiing from top to bottom and I came through today,” said Ganong. “In my mind this is the toughest hill, but it turns out I really like it. It’s really turny and suits my more technical style.”

The U.S. Alpine Ski Team’s speed crew will return stateside for a break before heading back to Europe for the second half of the World Cup circuit. Part two will kick off with the famed Lauberhorn races at Wengen, Switzerland, Jan. 11-14.

The next stop on the World Cup tour is Munich Jan. 2, where World Cup giant slalom leader Ted Ligety of Park City will be representing the U.S. in the parallel slalom city event.

Audi FIS Alpine World Cup, Bormio, Italy, Dec. 29, Downhill

1. Michael Walchhofer, Austria, 1:59.66

2. Silvan Zurbriggen, Switzerland, 1:59.74

3. Christof Innerhofer, Italy, 2:00.02

4. Patrick Kueng, Switzerland, 2:00.26

5. Georg Streitberger, 2:00.62

–

8. Bode Miller, Franconia, NH, 2:00.92

11. Steven Nyman, Sundance, UT, 2:01.31

20. Travis Ganong, Squaw Valley, CA, 2:01.93