SoCal storm offers one boy a perk: Celebrating his 6th birthday building a snowman

Dense fog covered snow-capped mountains and desert hills of the Antelope Valley as a storm pounded the region with rain and threatened more snow.

The parking lot of the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, a popular tourist attraction at this time of year, was almost empty.

One family visiting from Guadalajara, Mexico, said the rain wouldn’t stop them from driving to see the sights in town, but they remained in the car, safe from the pellets of rain that melted pockets of snow on the ground nearby.

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Parents in neighboring Lancaster, which was projected to see snow Saturday, rushed to grab their children from a line at Monte Vista Elementary School.

With umbrellas in hand, bundled in beanies and puffy jackets, families scattered to the gate and back to their vehicles to avoid the sprinkles.

Obie Garza, father of 6-year-old Alina and 5-year-old Nathan, said it’s pretty rare for the area to witness a snowstorm and he and his and children were excited at the possibility, particularly since Nathan will celebrate his birthday on Saturday.

“It’s weird to think of it snowing here, but it’s happened before and they’re excited about it happening tomorrow,” Garza said.

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While their peers had plans to stay indoors or head to Chuck E. Cheese, the Garza family intends to visit Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood to celebrate Nathan’s big day.

The soon-to-be 6-year-old said he will commemorate his birthday with a snowman. His sister hopes to toss a snowball or two at her father.

“It will be the place to be,” Garza said, noting the area has plenty of activities for children. “It’s convenient because it’s local and right up the road, and I think we’ll all enjoy it.”