CAMDEN – Colder temperatures and a boost from the snow gods are inching the Camden Snow Bowl closer to opening for the season. Colder air pushing into Maine after the current storm will provide even better snowmaking conditions.

“We are going to work hard to get open for Dec. 22, in some capacity,” said Beth Ward, Camden’s director of parks and recreation, and Snow Bowl manager.

Crews are working this week to make snow at the municipally-owned ski mountain.

The mountain hit a bump last week when a motor had that been turned on for a snowmaking training session started to sputter and spark.

On Dec. 11, Camden’s Select Board approved spending approximately $22,000 to get the motor repaired, and will decide Dec. 19 at a regularly scheduled meeting exactly which account to tap to fund the fix.

There is a little more than $22,000 in the 2017 Snow Bowl contingency line, but the Select Board decided to wait until the auditors have finished their analysis of the Snow Bowl accounts (due next week) before deciding exactly which lines to use to pay for the motor repair.

At the Dec. 11 board meeting, Chairman John French floated the idea of using a fire engine pump to help make snow at the mountain, but it was agreed that the new part for the motor would arrive soon enough to get more snowmaking under way.

In the meantime, crews are making snow on the lower half of Ragged Mountain, and getting help from natural snow that is falling this week. Once the motor is repaired, snowmaking will extend up to top of the Snow Bowl.

The ideal scenario for making snow is first having a frozen ground, combined with temperatures in the low 20s F. That weather will fall into the Midcoast Wednesday evening, when temperatures are to plummet.

Sharpen the edges on your skis!

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657