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Winter Forecast Includes El Nino Possibilities

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The Mother Lode offers specific challenges when trying to forecast the weather, according to KCRA 3 Meteorologist Tamara Berg.

Berg was Wednesday’s KVML “Newsmaker of the Day”.

“Both Tuolumne and Calaveras counties run from the east end of the central valley, up to the crest of the Sierra Nevada. Based on topogrophy, elevation changes, canyons, terrain, climate and incoming storm systems, the Mother lode creates good challenges for our weather team,” said Berg. “We study, converse, apply math, apply science, sometimes disagree with one another and ultimately try to be as accurate as possible.”

Berg continued, “The Mother Lode is what we call micro-climate central. At times, there can be very small areas where the weather can change in a heartbeat. In one area there can be low snow, while in other areas it’s simply raining. We see this with cloud cover as well. It could be sunny in one place but just a few miles away, an area is locked in low clouds.”

This year, an El Niño has formed in the central Pacific Ocean and there is a strong possibility that it could send a lot of warm precipitation into the Northern California region.

According to Berg, “Based on past records of strong El Nino years, there is a 50/50 shot for us to receive a lot of moisture this season. It could be warmer bands of precipitation, resulting in a higher snow level, but it would add to the Sierra snow pack regardless.”

Berg added, “So far for the month of November, we have already received 80% of our normal amount of precipitation. However, these have been storms originating from the north, like the Gulf Of Alaska and not from El Nino.”

Berg joined the KCRA 3 weather team in December of 2011 after three years forecasting at KION-TV in Salinas.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Berg is happy to call California her home.

While at KION, Berg tracked just about every type of weather condition. She also reported on mudslides, wildfires, earthquakes and the tsunami that swept across the shores of Santa Cruz in March 2011.

Berg started her career in Toledo, Ohio, as a weekend weathercaster and weekday general assignment reporter and holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Baldwin-Wallace College and recently finished her B.S. in Meteorology from Mississippi State University. Berg is also a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association.

In her spare time, Berg loves to run. She’s completed the Big Sur International Marathon two times and looks forward to running the California International Marathon every December. Berg also enjoys hiking, trail runs, biking and snowboarding. She would also like to eventually get her pilots license.

Berg can be heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML, Star 92.7 FM and Today’s Country 93.5 FM, KKBN.

The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 KVML at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45am.

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