Mount Pisgah employees Tara Gagne and Jeremy Parent keep the snow guns at the ski area cranking on Thursday, as Mother Nature pitches in. The ski area is set to open on Dec. 12. (Enterprise photo — Aaron Marbone)

SARANAC LAKE — The snow guns on Mount Pisgah were running on full blast Thursday as the sky contributed to the accumulating powder at the ski area.

The mountain is set to open for skiers and snowboarders on Dec. 12.

Pisgah employees Jeremy Parent and Tara Gagne were maintaining the guns through the snow squall. Parent said they’ve had great snowmaking weather this year.

They need a new water pump though. The pump which brings water up from a pond at the base of the ski area, all the way up to the top, is getting old.

The mountain has five snow guns. Parent said a new pump could have all five going at full blast. On Thursday, only two were fully powered, one was at half power and there wasn’t enough water supply for the other two.

He said they would ideally have a new pump installed by next season. but it’s an expensive project for the village-owned ski area — estimated at around $300,000.

Village manager Bachana Tsiklauri is planning to request that the village use the $100,000 it has received in cannabis tax revenue so far to contribute to this project. The village board is expected to discuss this soon.