Wet Winter Ahead?
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.”
With rumblings of a La Nina year, Berg was asked if that means a wet or dry winter ahead.
Berg said, “A short range forecast is what we do best. We can study atmospheric conditions over the Pacific Ocean and identify an El Nino or an El Nina event and showcase what that traditionally means for the next few months, but it is a showcase of tradition and not a specific forecast. As of today, there is not an El Nina event. We all hope for plenty of snow in the Sierra, but I don’t have a crystal ball and it’s anyone’s guess at this point.”
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 weather caster 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 a number of times and looks forward to running the California International Marathon every December. Berg also enjoys hiking, trail runs, biking and snowboarding.
Berg can be heard every weekday morning on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML, Star 92.7 FM and Today’s Country 93.5 FM KKBN.
The “Newsmaker of the Day” is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
