More Snow Coming!

The Snowstorm of the Century to be followed by another.

The current 30 inches of snow that has socked in Washington, D.C., is the most snow that I’ve ever seen! My neighborhood is covered in a smooth layered white blanket. The trees look like they are dressed in dangling crystals—except for the two unfortunate trees that fell into the street!

 Icicles are everywhere, hanging on tree branches and the rain gutters around the house, glittering like shiny glass in the lazy winter sun. I can’t see our pool in the backyard because everything is covered with an even level of white icy powder. On the picnic table, a huge pile of fluffy snow stands tall like Abraham Lincoln’s hat, only pure white.

And guess what? More snow is coming. According to weather reports this morning, 6 to 10 inches more snow is on the way Tuesday.

I went out for a walk in the snow with my dad this weekend. I was dressed thickly from head to toe. Since snow gets into my boots, my mom used duct tape to seal in the warmth and keep me dry.

The snow looked like cotton candy, which is as light as feather. Walking through the drifts, I soon realized, was like walking with weights on my feet! At one point I felt like I was climbing Mt. McKinley, especially when nobody had been out before us, so we didn’t have any tracks to follow.

I won a race with my dad on the snow-covered street, and I jumped backward and landed IN the snow on my back. My hat got my all icy and wet!

 I took a tape measure with me on our walk so that I could measure the depth. I measured the snow on the street, on the sidewalk, on the lawn, everywhere I could get to. Most of the area was about 20 inches, way above my knees!

I was so excited, but my dad was not so sure. After our walk, he had to shovel our driveway. It took him five hours and he made two massive snow walls along the path. They looked like chunky marshmallows that towered over me!

Not everything about a big snow storm like this one is fun and games, though. Roads were mostly shut down and those attempting to drive were getting into multiple accidents.

More than 100,000 people in Maryland and 50,000 in Virginia are out of power right now. One of our friends called us while driving to a hotel because their power was out so they could not cook and the house was cold. They said that every building they passed was pitch black—only the Marriott hotel had light!

Dad was disappointed that he would miss the Super Bowl party with his friends. Mom started to worry about the milk running out. I was not so happy that my school would be closed again Monday. I miss my friends at school, although I had lots of fun having snow ball fights with my little brother and my new friends.

— Alexandra Zhang

PHOTO: Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang measures the snow fall in her yard in the Washington, D.C., metro area. (Photo Courtesy Alexandra Zhang)

Tween Girl Summit Serenade

My first assignment was empowering and tuneful!

My first assignment for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps was to cover the Tween Girl Summit held in Washington, D.C. recently. There were so many teenagers! I only found 10 people about my age, which is 10.

These girls came from all over the U.S. to participate in this summit. Celebrities, Olympic athletes, game-makers, and leaders in their fields all came to talk to tween girls (ages 9-14) about how they can reach any goal they set for themselves. The sky’s the limit, we were told.

I interviewed Jessica Mendoza, a two-time Olympic medalist. She was on the U.S. Women’s Softball team at the Summer Olympic Games in 2004 and 2008. I also spoke to singer/songwriter Laura Warshauer, and Disney TV star Debby Ryan!

When I was waiting for the interview with Mendoza, I was kind of nervous because this was my first interview. She was late, so I started talking to Laura Warshauer, who decided to play me her latest song, Alive. It was really cool to be serenaded by a professional entertainer (see video above).

When I was interviewing Debby Ryan, I nearly freaked out! I’ve never been up close and personal with anyone from a TV show before. My first impression of her reminded me of her character, Bailey Pickett, from Suite Life on Deck. She was there as an advocate for tween girls.

For me I think the most fun at the event was the Exhibit Hall. It’s where the sponsors show off their stuff. It was really interesting.

I learned a lot covering my first event as a Kid Reporter. First, I learned to take as many notes as possible, take lots of pictures, and get homework out of the way first so I can meet my deadline!

—Alexandra Zhang