WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STAY SAFE. THE NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM SUMMER WEATHER OUTLOOK. WE CONTINUES WITH A GLANCE AT SEVERE WEATHER. WE CAN’T TALK ABOUT SUMMER WEATHER WITHOUT STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS HERE ACROSS THE VALLEY. AND IT’S JUST LIKE BAKING A CAKE. YOU NEED MULTIPLE INGREDIENTS TO COME TOGETHER FOR THE WORST OF STORMS TO FIRE UP. AND ONE OF THE BIG ONES IS MOISTURE, HIGH DEW POINTS, GETTING THAT FUEL TO COME IN AND KIND OF AID AND GETTING THESE STORMS TO FIRE UP. WE NEED A LIFTING MECHANISM, A STRONG FRONT, A COLD FRONT, A WARM FRONT CAN ALSO SPARK THOSE STORMS. NOW, WITH THE HEATING OF THE DAY THAT COMES TOGETHER WITH THE MOISTURE IN THE AIR AND GIVES US AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS OR THE ENERGY NEEDED TO REALLY GET THESE STORMS TO IGNITE. BUT HOW DO THEY ORGANIZE THEMSELVES? WE NEED THE TWISTING OF THE WINDS OR STRONG WIND SHEAR, WHICH IS THE DIFFERENCE IN WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION AS YOU HEAD UP INTO THE ATMOSPHERE. AND ALL OF THESE INGREDIENTS ARE NEEDED TO GET THE WORST OF STORMS HERE ACROSS THE VALLEY. THAT COULD GIVE US LARGE HAIL, ALSO DAMAGING WIND. THAT’S ANOTHER THING WE OFTEN SEE HERE WITH STRONG STORMS ACROSS THE REGION. AND OF COURSE, TORNADIC ACTIVITY. NOTHING WE EVER WANT TO SEE HERE. BUT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT AND BE PREPARED FOR IN THE HEATING OF THE SUMMER. NOW, WHAT MAKES A STORM SEVERE? WE HAVE TO HAVE QUARTER SIZED HAIL OR LARGER OR WIND IN EXCESS OF 58MPH OR GREATER. YOU CAN HAVE ONE OR BOTH OF THESE TO MAKE A STORM, QUOTE UNQUOTE, SEVERE. NOW, WE DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT LIGHTNING BECAUSE THIS DOESN’T NECESSARILY MAKE A STORM SEVERE, BUT IT’S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN THUNDERSTORMS. SO YOU NEVER WANT TO BE AWAY FROM TREES. AND WE ALWAYS SAY WHEN THUNDER ROARS, GET INDOORS. SO YOU WANT TO GET INSIDE AWAY FROM ANY WINDOWS AND GET INSIDE REALLY AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN. AS SOON AS YOU HEAR THAT THUNDER YOU WANT TO GET INSIDE. REMEMBER, LIGHTNING IS FIVE TIMES HOTTER THAN THE SURFACE OF THE SUN. IT’S NOTHING YOU WANT TO MESS AROUND WITH. AND SPEAKING OF SAFETY AND TAKING THOSE PRECAUTIONS, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE SAFEST ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE IS. AND A LOT OF TIMES IT’S A BASEMENT IF YOU HAVE ONE. BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE A TORNADO WARNING. IT CAN BE JUST A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING OR A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM MOVING IN. YOU WANT TO GET INSIDE IT AS QUICK AS YOU CAN AND GET INTO YOUR MOST INTERIOR ROOM. THAT’S SOMETHING YOU ALWAYS WANT TO REMEMBER WHEN YOU’RE OUT AND ABOUT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS HERE THROUGHOUT THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. OF COURSE, WE’LL HAVE MORE ON OUR SUMMER WEATH