Loveland Ski Area will open Thursday as its slopes are set to become the first to offer skiing and snowboarding in Colorado this year, the resort said Monday.

"The warm fall weather delayed the start of snowmaking this year, but Mother Nature finally came through," Rob Goodell, Loveland's director of business operations, said in a statement.

More than 17 inches of natural snow fell at Loveland last week as storms passed through the state, bringing with it cold temperatures needed for snowmaking.

The ski area's Lift 1 will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday and will provide skiers and riders with access to one top-to-bottom run covered from tree-to-tree with an 18-inch base.

Read the rest of this story at http://www.denverpost.com.