LOVELAND, Colo. -- It's just the first full day of fall but ski areas in Colorado are already beginning to think about a favorite winter sport -- skiing.

With temperatures dipping into the 20s and 30s, Loveland Ski Area said it will begin making snow Monday night in an effort to become the first ski area in the county to open for the season.

"We set all of our snowmaking equipment up last week thinking there might be a chance we could begin," said Mark Abrahamson, Loveland's snowmaking and trail maintenance manager. "We always expect to begin in late September and by starting tonight we will be right on track."

The opening day run, consisting of 1,000 vertical feet, must be covered top to bottom, side to side with a minimum packed base of 18 inches, the Loveland Ski Area said. The snowmaking team uses thirty snow guns and throughout the night will constantly pump water and air up the mountain to the guns.

"There's definitely a chill in the air today, and tomorrow morning there will be snow on the ground," said John Sellers, Loveland's marketing director. "This is a very exciting time of year at Loveland as we prepare to open. The guns are placed, there is snow on the peaks and people across the Front Range are preparing for the season."

Check out Loveland Ski Area's Web site to see updated pictures of snowmaking progress, gun placement and live webcams.