Zeke the Weather Geek: There's a Lizard in My Blizzard
32 At the corner Zeke braked for the red light He checked the temperature on Thermo the mini thermometer dangling from his handlebars Exactly 32 degrees Fahrenheit Freezing point Perfect for a snowflake Zeke's all weather camera hung around his neck Zeke liked to name his weather instruments He called his camera Storm Shooter Dad gave it to him before he left for Antarctica in September for the Polar Penguin Project He was studying the effects of climate change on emperor penguins Clomp Clomp Clomp Bub finally caught up with him
Don't you have to call Mom he asked Dad had given Zeke his old flip phone to call home so Mom wouldn't worry Yeah I better do that now Zeke punched in the number When Mom answered he told her they'd be home soon Do you think Mom's really gonna get you a puppy Bub asked Today was Zeke's ninth birthday All he wanted was a Saint Bernard puppy He had already picked out its name Blizzard Of course That's why at breakfast she said Our family might be getting bigger I bet she's going to the pet store right now She's picking out my Saint Bernard Are you sure I'm sure Zeke said Dad and I have been talking about it all year Saint Bernards love snow just like we do Say you're trapped in a blizzard at the top of the Swiss Alps A Saint Bernard would save your life So would a dinosaur said Bub
Zeke tuned him out Snow was coming and Blizzard was waiting for him at home His Mood Meter was rising This birthday was going to be great Zeke carried his scooter with one hand and held Bub's elbow with the other as they crossed the street Then the two boys headed up Summit Avenue to the highest point in the small city of Green River The snow cloud hovered overhead Zeke looked up No flakes yet
5 Snowflakes in the Making 1 A dust grain floats high in the atmosphere 2 Water vapor sticks to the dust 8 The snowflake grows so heavy it begins to fall It grows long narrow tips if it encounters warmer air on the way down It all starts with a grain of dust 3 The droplet flash freezes and crystal faces appear 4 A small six sided snow crystal forms As water in the atmosphere clings to the crystal branches sprout from its six corners 6 Side branches begin to sprout 7 More side branches develop as the crystal continues to grow A snowflake contains hundreds if not thousands of snow crystals
