Unprecedented Weather Shift: Utah Skips Autumn, Prepares For Winter

Later this week, we will go ahead and skip Autumn altogether and go straight to Winter.

At least, that's what weather forecasters are saying about the shift in weather this week.

Just last week, we were at 100 degrees, tracking nearly 20 degrees ABOVE normal for October in Utah's Dixie.

Now, a quick glance at any reputable weather forecast tells us that we'll go from that triple-digits and way above average temps and dry air to a wet and cold storm coming through.

Meteorologists say the big change will happen Thursday night, with a 40 percent chance of rain on Friday and -- get this -- a high temperature in St. George of approximately 59 degrees.

That's roughly 20 degrees BELOW the average temperature for mid-October in Southern Utah.

It's a shift so sudden and extreme that Washington County has never seen the likes of it.

The high for Oct. 1 -- 102 degrees.

The predicted high for Oct. 18 -- 59 degrees.

ABC4 meteorologist Seth Sanders said, "Between Wednesday and Friday we’ll go from 10-15° above average to 10-15° below average, a 20-30° drop in just two days!"

Sanders said higher elevations throughout the state (above 6,500 feet) could get snow even (for reference, Cedar City is about 5,000 feet and St. George is about 3,000 feet elevation).

Sanders said the reason for the change is a major cold front moving in from the Northwest.

Because of its directional origin, Sanders said the storm will impact Northwestern Utah first (perhaps by Wednesday) before impacting us here in Southern Utah Thursday night and Friday.

Alas, due to the Fall break, Region 9 football is being played Wednesday night this week -- before the cold front comes through -- with games at Dixie, Pine View, Desert Hills and Hurricane.