The Camden Snow Bowl will be closed through Jan. 2. Camden Snow Bowl General Manager Jeff Nathan has issued the following Dec. 29:

"We started the season strong, with a snowmaking plan that included more snow guns, an additional on-mountain booster pump, and the same dedication from our snowmaking team. That allowed us to make great use of cold temperatures beginning Dec. 1 and put a lot more snow on the mountain than ever before, resulting in an earlier opening day than we have had in years. Unfortunately, we lost 75% of our snowmaking capacity early on due to a water pump failure and the first 10 operating days of grooming have not left us with enough snow in the right places to keep the mountain accessible and safe for skiers.

"If we had not lost the water pump, due to a failure of the electrical drive, we are confident we would have been able to ride out the impending weather over the next few days. But that also gives us confidence to move forward.

"The forecast for next week will include warm temperatures and rain starting tonight, Dec. 29, which will force us to close Monday, Dec. 30, through Thursday, Jan. 2. There will also be no uphill skiing allowed during the closure. Not only will the down time allow the precipitation to drain out of the snow and dry it out, but by keeping people and machines off the mountain, what snow is there will be undisturbed and preserved. All it takes is one or two exposed areas of dark ground to attract the sun, melting the snow around it and creating an even larger area devoid of snow.

"Crews will be working overnight Thursday to move snow from higher elevations, if needed, so that we can re-open on Friday, Jan. 3, at 10 a.m. This will also be our first opportunity for night skiing, as we will be open until 7 p.m.

"Speaking of the crew, we can’t say enough about our incredibly talented snowmakers and groomers, who somehow managed to make the magic happen so we could open for the season on Dec. 14, the earliest opening in memory. And we were able to open the triple chairlift on Dec. 22, a major feat itself. And all of this, despite the loss of the water pump.

"Now for some great news. Please join in thanking the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Foundation for their incredibly generous donation of $35,000 to cover half the cost of the repair of the snow making system. With a match from the Town, we will have the water pump back in operation as soon as possible, ready for January’s cold weather to hit. And when we are all skiing on great snow again later this season it’s because the Foundation helped make it possible. We would also like to thank the Saddleback Mountain snowmaking team for their advice in designing our new snowmaking plan as well.

"Thank you for such a great start to the season. I hope you are feeling as excited about what’s happening at the Snow Bowl as I am. See you out there soon!"