GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The WOOD TV8 Weather Experience is back and better than ever in a new virtual format for students.

On May 27, 2021, third graders from Wyoming Public Schools logged in to learn all about West Michigan weather with Storm Team 8 meteorologists Ellen Bacca and Emily Schuitema. The kids at West Elementary had a blast doing the tornado dance and making experiments like clouds and fake snow.

The newly designed format features weather cartoon characters like Tom the Tornado and Siad the snow cloud who join Storm Team 8 in the “weather lab.” Students had fun watching videos and learning alongside Ellen with interactive classroom experiments. The program features topics such as snow, wind, tornadoes and lightning. 

Thursday’s lesson marked the last Weather Experience of the school year. This year, Storm Team 8 worked with a dozen West Michigan school districts, reaching nearly 1,000 third graders participating virtually from their classrooms.