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♪ summer, a time to get outside and enjoy the b tracking summer. a time to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. also a time to be prepared for extreme heat, severe storms. steeple team 4 is tracking summer from northwest washington, here now is storm team 4. >> hello, everyone. i'm storm team 4 meteorologist doug kammerer alongside my colleagues. summer is definitely here. it's been a long time coming after that cold weather we saw earlier this year. we're moving into summer. it's time to talk about the heat waves and summer storms. >> forecasts for what we should expect here in the midatlantic this summer and, of course, a look at the

season? >> plus, the hurricane hunters stories, a look at the aircraft they actually fly into the storm to get us the information we need to keep you safe. >> plus lightning safety. thunderstorms pop up fast in the summer and can be very strong. what you need to know to stay safe when lightning strikes. >> and 2017 started off on the dry side, which could have impacted local wineries. we'll let you know exactly what that means for all you wine lovers out there. >> we head out to the beaches and check out the challenges they face, getting prepared this summer after the winter season. >> first, what we have seen over the past couple of months. started off really dry, but it did get wet in a hurry. spring of 2017 started off on a very dry knot note. matter of fact, much of our region was under drought conditions after months of below-normal rainfall. march was near normal in regards to temperature but continued below average r

including ten days at or above 80 degrees and we reached 91 on the 29th. it will go down in the record books as the warmest april ever. but it, too, was fairly dry. we needed the rain in may and, boy, did we get it. we saw 20 out of 31 days in the month with at least some rainfall. rain totals for the month were over 5.5 inches, making one of the top 20 wettest mays ever. because of the clouds and rain, may was below average, though, when it came to temperatures. if you thought that rainy, cool pattern was going to stick around, first part of june has been the exact opposite, as we have been back to the dry pattern with temperatures running well above normal, including our first heatwave. how will that wet into spring affect your summer temperatures? and what about the hurricane season? we'll take a look at that. but for now let's head over t

chuck and sheena. >> thanks, chuck. summer storms can come in a hurry. >> by the time you hear thunder or see lightning it's already too late. you do need to act fast. you need to get inside. lightning is one of the most unpredictable characteristics of a thunderstorm. one of the most dangerous places to be is on the water. that's where most people get struck. here are some facts about lightning. it's five times hotter than the surface of the sun. that's 50,000 degrees fahrenheit. we'll talk about lightning deaths in a second. within the country, florida has the most lightning strikes of any state. tampa bay being the lightning capital of the u.s., hence the tampa bay lightning hockey team. as we mentioned, erratic and unpredictable, one of the most unpredictable things in the thunderstorm. facts about lightning, 25 million cloud-to-ground lightning strikes per career in the u.s. those are lightning strikes that doll

permanent damage. within the last 30 years, on average, though, 51 lightning deaths have occurred per year. now 10% of that are people who are struck that have been killed. 90% have had permanent damage in some sort for the remainder of their life. now we're going to talk about myths and facts. some of these things might trick you. lightning never strikes the same place twice. well, that is a myth. of course, it can strike the same place twice. it can strike the same place multiple times f caught in a storm, you should lie flat. you may have been told this as a child but, no, this is a big myth. you want to head indoors when you get caught in a storm even if that lightning is starting to strike around you, slowly make your way indoors. now the peak months for lightning, june, july, august, that's actually true. the middle of the summer when we see the most thunderstorms. of course, that's when we see the most lightning. you should wait 30 minutes after the last thunder to go outside. is that a myth or fact?

wait 30 minutes. that kind of gives you the all clear. as far as lightning safety is concerned, get indoors. best place to be is a large enclosed structure such as an office building, home or school and stay off any wired electronics. you don't want to have any current running through you or even close to you that could run through you if lightning strikes your house or your building. there's something called the five-second rule. i hope you've heard of this. if you see lightning and start counting, those five seconds in between lightning and its following thunder means the storm is one mile away. might be a myth to some of you. you might have thought it was five miles away but five seconds equals one mile. now, remember, lightning is very unpredictable. so, make sure you have the nbc washington app. that way, you can track all the storms right at your fingertips. >> hurricane season is now under way. but have you ever wondered how we get all that information when a hurricane is actually headed

>> there's specially equipped aircraft called hurricane hunters who fly into the storms to get us the information we need to keep you safe. they were recently at reagan national and i was able to get an upclose look. >> humbling experience, to say the least. it's pretty rewarding as well to say you're on top of hurricane matthew, category 5 storm. >> reporter: lieutenant cowan is explaining his time as a pilot for the hurricane hunter. >> we start to fill in the gap between the hurricane flying into the hurricane itself down below at 10,000 feet and the satellite up in space. >> reporter: one way they fill the gap, dropping drop zones or weather parachutes into the storm collecting temperature, pressure, wind information. they then feed to the plane in real time. he was quick to point out the real meat and potatoes of the storm hunting involve other aircraft, the planes that actually fly into the hurricane. we spoke with a flight director for noaa, who flies through hurricanes, includi

>> it intensifies from a category 2 to category 4 the eight hours we were out there. the next day, strong category 4. the scientists wanted to come around and stay on the side of the storm that was strongest but we couldn't. the eyewall was too small. we hit a little bit of small hail, which is okay for this plane but we take that into consideration for our next path and we know we don't want to go back through that area again. >> reporter: three radars all serve a different purpose. one is used for navigation, to safely and successfully get into the storm. the other is the 360-degree imageer and the third used for research. now this aircraft behind me, king air 350 er. at the end of the day, the goal is the same, to work together to provide the best forecast to keep you safe and informed. so, hopefully, this year we have a quiet hurricane season. but you can be sure the hurricane hunters will be out in any storm, getting the latest in

the best and most accurate forecast. >> storm team 4 tracking summer continues -- >> how our dry weather has impacked wineries in the washington area. we're talking to local wineries to see what that means for you wine lovers. and we're heading to the beach to see how those beaches are set for you beach goers and summer outlook and what that means for the 90s this year and for hurricane season. fios is not cable. we're a 100% fiber optic network.

you get amazing download speeds up to 940 megs, 20 times faster than most people have. and the price is amazing too for $79.99 a month online for the first year you'll get our fastest triple play with hbo included for 2 years. leave cable's slower internet speeds behind. so hurry up and switch to fios gigabit connection for $79.99 with tv, hbo and multi-room dvr service for two years all with a two year agreement. wewe got the keys!ys to our new house! ahhh! wooo! this is exciting we've got our own house! yeah! i'm sorry do you like it here maddie? i love you. i love you too.

♪ welcome back to storm team 4 tracking summer. now it's a perfect time to head to the beach. >> i can't wait to head to the beach. they have to get ready for our arrival. how do they do that? and what are they expecting this summer? for months during the winter and spring, we can't wait until summer, to get back to the beach. sun, sand and the boardwalk are constantly calling. meal

is on. for beaches up and down the maryland and delaware coast the rush has been going on all year long. it's an effort for our beaches to look good and have them ready for the upcoming summer. ocean city is training new lifeguards to rescue those stranded in open waters. ocean city also rebuilt a quarter mile of boardwalk in the offseason, continuing their reconstruction efforts. the biggest battle is to keep the sand in place so we still have beach left after pounding waves and coastal storms take their toll in the offseason. it's always a concern and this year a more than $11 million plan was put into place. i know i'm a beach guy. i love the beach. i have a lot of fun down there. maybe that's not quite your speed. if you want to head out to one of the wineries. >> which is a good idea. we've got a lot of them. we had a dry start to this season. dry start to 2017, which could actually m b

some local wineries. ♪ virginia has become a popular destination for local vineyards over the last several decades. why is the virginia climate so good for wine production? virginia wine trail to find out. >> there are 250 wineries in virginia. with around 50 being right here in loudoun county. >> that's the president of grove vineyards, a picturesque vineyard nestled between the blue ridge and short hill mountains, whether it's a constant concern for grapes in this rapidly flourishing business. >> we live and die by the weather. >> there's always a spring crop. >> gonzalo ortiz is consistently watching the weather patterns and trends to make sure to produce the best wine possible

>> when you want it to rain, it doesn't. when you don't want it to, it always does. >> lots of rain during the spring and summer can have detrimental impacts on the grape itself. >> there's balloon effects in which they can soak up all the water, the grape will get large and after a couple of days it will come back down. the content might not get back to where it was. >> water is absolutely essential. but grapes struggle with it. the harder they work, the deeper their roots go to get that water. >> even in 2007, one of our biggest drought years, those were the best grapes we brought in. >> not only do they have to monitor the rain but lightning and hail play a big role on the lifespan of grape. >> every vineyard i've ever worked at has had lightning strikes and typically some of the vines

they're not the same. >> not the same after that? despite the obvious change in weather pattern here in virginia, why is this area favorable for wine production? >> everything is about drainage with grapes. to not have cold pockets and also when it rains it trickles down. >> so i want to know, and you want to know, with all this harvesting taking place in the fall, will 2017 be a good year for wine, given our drought before we head into this spring? >> hail storms this year, they're pretty much already affected. they know their outcome. for those not affected by frost or hail, it could go either way. >> if you haven't headed out to any of the local wineries, and we have a lot of them, this year may be a good year to do it. when we come

your nose to the test. smell of all things summer. >> of course, we'll take a look at your extended summer outlook.

♪ ♪ welcome back. storm team 4 tracking summer. chuck, one of the things i love about summer is the smell of sunblock. >> absolutely. a lot of smells bring summer memories, hot dogs on the grill, mowed grass. some of the most common ones and the science behind it. if you were asked to describe the perfect summer day, how long would it take for you to answer smell as part of the experience? >> it's almost the grass screaming at us. >> grass' main predator isn't the snapper.

>> you're going through, chopping the tops of grass off, it's releasing a chemical. >> it smells like trouble for the caterpillar. >> great parasitic that comes to hatch their eggs on the caterpillar. >> the clouds, electrical discharges we can have oxygen molecules splitting apart and coming back together with their atom and we'll get ozone. that free objectixygen molecule pungent odor that you can sense before the rain comes. >> mineral oils and chemicals in the rocks that when the water droplets hit them get into our noses, too. there's also

we can actually smell that live on the ground. when you think of that scent you're smelling oils that are kicked up. >> for sweeter scents you have head to the herbs and flowers. >> jasmine plant is extremely fragrant and blooms all summer long into october. it's very strongly fragrant kind of like gardenia but less buttery. >> and lavender. >> i think it's more floury, powdery kind of thing. interesting thing about it is you can use it in culinary applications as well. but you have to be very light handed it otherwise your food tastes like soap as well. >> black licorice keeps its smell under wraps until you touch it. >> you'll see bubbles under the surface. as you brush your finger over the leaf, you're popping the bub

the essential oils you're smelling. >> they tend to collect on the leaves in the cooler stillness of the overnight. >> as the heat rises, it burns off the essential oils and you get less of a smell as the day progresses. >> get out there and enjoy the sun, sight, sounds and smells of summer. of course, one of the favorite smells for kids is the smell of chlorinated water at the local pool. let's go over to lauryn. >> you can always get our forecast on air and the nbc washington app. just remember, you can always get the storm team 4 four-day forecast on wtop every ten minutes on the 8s. nothing says summer like good old summer camp. what about weather camp? the next few minutes we'll explore the awesome education opportunities we have here in our own backyard. if you're a young scientist, a future meteorologist, you don't have to wait until college

travel far or get an amazing head start to learn about the fascinating world of weather. look no further than the noaa center at howard university. every year they offer the career weather camp where high school opportunities stay at dorms on howard campus for two weeks and do real weather experiences while meeting with some of the most brilliant minds in weather. >> each day is devoted to burning additional atmospheric concepts. we may have an interactive visit to the noaa's climate and weather center. >> making sure planes are safe in the sky to bringing your forecasts on the evening news, meteorologists wear many different hats. the first hat they wear is a graduation cap. i spent time at the university of maryland's atmosphere of science department where we talked about the new graduate program that just started four years ago. >> a population of students are interested in th

didn't really have an outlook for that. somebody doesn't put a textbook in front of them, we have a deadline. answer all the questions in chapter nine. that's not what we do for a living. we have to work with other people, meet deadlines, ask questions and not be afraid to ask questions. >> after you graduate you don't have to go far to get a job either. the d.c. metro area is a meteorologist mecca with noaa, nasa and local tv stations looking to hire you. >> nasa goddard is a 15, 20 minute drive down the road. noaa center for weather predictions, you could walk there. joint global client research institute. >> everything you need to become a meteorologist is right here in our own backyard. >> if you think back to last summer, a record number of 90-degre

august. >> it was so hot last summer. what about this summer? i've noticed some differences. we'll give you that forecast coming up fios is not cable. we're a 100% fiber optic network. now with our new fios gigabit connection, you get amazing download speeds up to 940 megs, 20 times faster than most people have. and the price is amazing too for $79.99 a month online for the first year you'll get our fastest triple play with hbo included for 2 years. leave cable's slower internet speeds behind. so hurry up and switch to fios gigabit connection for $79.99 with tv,

th a two year agreement.

the gulf of mexico was at record high temperatures all winter long. the big question is what does that mean the gulf of mexico was at record high temperatures all winter long. what does that mean for summer? >> just how hot will we get this summer? d.c. in the summertime can normally be summed up in one word. hot. last year was exceptional, with both july and august in the top 10 warmest with august actually scoring the second hottest month ever. we saw close to 60 90-degree days last year. here is the good news. i do not expect a repeat. this year, i'm predicting a slightly above average summer. average is 36 90-degree days. this year i

45 90-degree days. so, hot, but nothing like last year. rainfall will be close to average. of course, we can always expect our summertime thunder boomers. what about hurricanes? in doing my research i took into account the weak el nino developed in the pacific and the ocean temperatures in the atlantic, among other things. i expect this year to be slightly above average when it comes to named storms in the atlantic basin. average year is on the left side of your screen and my prediction is on the right with slightly higher numbers. does this mean we should see a better chance of a storm hitting our coastline? actually no, i see most of the storms heading out to sea as the bermuda high should stay fairly weak. that being said, we may still be affected but i think it will be a storm that moves in late summer, early fall that brings rains our way. so nothing too strong. storm team 4 will keep you ahead of it every step

"tracking summer." >> stay with storm team 4 for the latest forecast. >> download the nbc washington app where you can check out watch watches, warnings and interactive radar. >> if you want to know any more abouthstieyoveee rfo gto nbcwashington.com and search storm team 4. >> we're dedicated to keeping you safe and prepared all summer long. >> bye, everyone.

fios is not cable. we're a 100% fiber optic network. now with our new fios gigabit connection, you get amazing download speeds up to 940 megs, 20 times faster than most people have. and the price is amazing too for $79.99 a month online for the first year you'll get our fastest triple play with hbo included for 2 years. leave cable's slower internet speeds behind. so hurry up and switch to fios gigabit connection for $79.99 with tv, hbo and multi-room dvr service for two years all with a two year agreement.

. watching television that's educational and informational. "the more you know", on nbc. josh: today, on the voyager, i explore the french countryside and its famous farm fresh goods... it's steaming. literally, steam is coming off of it. ...meet a talented fourth generation figurine-maker... how on earth does your brain work to know how to make something like this? ...and learn the legend behind a five-hundred-year-old royal treat. okay. laure: this is one of the secrets of the calisson. josh: that's the secret. laure: yeah. josh: you just gave it away. [laure laughing] josh: my name is josh garcia. ever since i was a kid, i've dreamt about traveling the world by ocean, immersing myself in new cultures, and exploring nature's