Snow day for O.C.

NEWPORT BEACH — Jessica Reiten felt relieved Saturday that it was warm enough to play in the snow.

The Newport Beach recreation staffer and her colleagues had planned to host the 19th annual “Winter Wonderland” snow day event in Bonita Creek Park regardless of the weather, but as forecasters predicted a rainy weekend, Reiten worried that a downpour would turn away much of the crowd.

As it turned out, there wasn’t a drop to be seen at the park Saturday morning, aside from the snowballs whizzing through the air.

“By 1 o’clock, some of it will have turned to mush,” Reiten said shortly before 11 a.m., as kids lined up at the sledding hill. “But there’s enough of it to go around for everyone.”

Every December, the city sets up the snow day in Bonita Creek Park to give Newport residents a glimpse of the climate up north.

The recreation staff hauled in 95 tons of snow Saturday from North Hollywood Ice and spread it in select areas around the park, with a sledding hill, a “tot lot” for smaller kids and a snowball-throwing gallery where participants could practice their aim on cutouts of Santa, elves and other targets.

Admission to the event was free, although proceeds from food sales went to the Newport Beach Youth Council, a panel of teenagers that meets every month to discuss civic issues. “Operation Christmas for Our Troops and Their Families,” a program run by the National Guard to benefit military personnel, also set up a table to collect money and gift donations.

Some of the parents present said they had grown up around the snow and wanted to give their children, who were born in sunny Orange County, a taste of the cold weather. Lauren Pomeroy, who lives in Newport Coast and grew up in Michigan, came with her two small children.

“Our kids don’t get to see the snow,” she said. “This is it.”

She added that she wouldn’t mind a real snowfall in Orange County, even with all the difficulties it would bring.

“Everybody always says, ‘Oh, you’re so lucky to live here,’ but the change of seasons is nice,” she said. “Christmastime for kids in the east is so much fun.”

Marc Denoon, also a Newport Beach resident, brought his three children to see the snow for the first time — including his 2-year-old son, who had a predictable reaction.

“It’s my son’s first experience in the snow,” Denoon said. “He seems to like eating it.”

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com.