For the last 14 years, the Seattle Mariners and KOMO 4 TV have welcomed thousands of school children from around the Puget Sound area to T-Mobile Park before a day game to help them understand the forces of our Northwest weather, take in a ballgame and have some fun.

But with kids at home and field trips to ballparks off the agenda due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event has gone virtual. On Wednesday, June 3, at 9:00am, the Mariners 15th Annual Weather Education Day will premiere on the Mariners YouTube channel and on KOMONews.com.

KOMO’s Weather Team Abby Acone, Kelsie Knowles, Shannon O’Donnell, Scott Sistek and Theron Zahn conducted some science experiments and fielded questions from school children about such topics as how atmospheric conditions can affect home runs, where tornados come from, whether animals can predict storms (Spoiler alert: yes!) and how someone becomes a meteorologist. Ted Buehner of the National Weather Service gave kids some tips on how to get involved as a “citizen scientist” by recording, measuring and mapping weather conditions from home.

Mariners pitcher Dan Altavilla checked in from his home in Pittsburgh. He recalled a game when players had to shovel snow off the field before the 1:00pm start. Altavilla says a pitcher’s best friend when it comes to forecasts is a warm, humid day so they can grip the ball better. For a hitter, hot and dry will make the ball travel farther for those weather-aided home runs.

The program also contains weather trivia with University of Washington Atmospheric Sciences professor Cliff Mass and the Mariner Moose, and two features familiar to anyone who’s attended a game at T-Mobile Park: The Mariners Hat Trick and the Hydros race.