After high temperatures extended the state’s summer into October, Utahns should brace for a brief dose of winter weather as back-to-back cold fronts are expected to bring snow and below-average temperatures this week.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service said they expect Wednesday to be the last warm day of the season, with a high set to hit near 80 – which is 15 degrees above normal for this time of year. A dry and mostly sunny Wednesday is expected, with the afternoon seeing a 20% chance of rain.

While strong southwest winds and abnormally low humidity will create critical fire conditions for western Utah, Wednesday evening’s expected cold front will bring the start of snow in the western Uintas and Wasatch Mountains.

Forecasters also warn of dry microbursts – or downdrafts that may threaten life and property – for western Utah Wednesday.

A second, stronger cold front — dropping average temperatures to 30 degrees — will move in Thursday night into Friday morning. Heavy to moderate showers are expected, with snow for areas above 5,000-to-6,000 feet.

This is the weather service’s first winter storm watch of the season.

“This is going to be a significant pattern change,” said Monica Traphagan, senior meteorologist for the NWS Salt Lake City office, “particularly as we’ve been seeing these very warm temperatures.

In the valley, residents may see some snow flakes, with one to two feet of snow for the upper Cottonwoods. Residents on the benches may see more significant snowfall that may make travel difficult in areas such as Parley’s Canyon, Traphagan said.

“If you can, avoid travel in the mountains,” Traphagan said, “If you have to be there, be prepared for temperatures getting significantly colder.”

The winter storm, Traphagan said, will likely suppress The Yellow Lake Fire, which has grown to 31,193 acres within the Uinta Mountains as of Tuesday morning. Smoke and haze from the fire will likely decrease with the storm.

As of Tuesday afternoon, air quality was considered “good” at the Salt Lake City International Airport. Park City stood with an air quality index of 57, which is considered “moderate.” Kamas was also in the “moderate” range.

Heading into the weekend, according to the forecast, Friday and Saturday temperatures are expected to drop to 15 degrees below average with a low in the mid-30s and a high near 50.

Outside the Wasatch Front’s urban spread and lower Washington County, Utah will see its first hard freeze by Friday, the weather service said. Traphagan suggested Utahns winterize RVs, sprinkler systems and swamp coolers, and protect sensitive vegetation.

Starting Sunday, Utahns should see “normal” temperatures in the 60s for this time of year, with a high pressure system expected throughout next week.

The Jazz improve to 4-1 in the preseason, beating the Sacramento Kings in an electrifying clutch win with a final score of 117-114.

What a game. This one was a nail-biter to the end that gave us a look at what the young guys can do in a down-to-the-wire situation. Keyonte George led the Jazz in scoring with 24 while Taylor Hendricks and Brice Sensabaugh contributed to some clutch shots in the fourth quarter.

Utah distanced themselves with a noteworthy 3-point variance against Sacramento, nailing 14 triples to their 9. It’s especially impressive considering it was against the team with the 4th most 3-point makes last season.

Without Isaiah Collier, the Jazz missed a primary ball handler that the Jazz could run with in non-Keyonte minutes. It was indicative in the result; the Jazz piling for 24 team turnovers once the final buzzer rang.

Don’t take this Tuesday night preseason game for what it looks like on the surface. In fact, this game was just as entertaining as a regular season game. The first half alone has 17 lead changes between the two teams — the Jazz having as small a lead as 6 before clinching the game in the final stretch.

Game Notes

Keyonte George catches fire early

Keyonte George returned to action tonight after missing Saturday’s matchup in San Antonio due to a mild knee sprain. It goes without question that the Jazz missed his willingness to take shots and how he creates for himself. George lights up the Kings in the first quarter, recording 8 points and 1 assist off 3-4 FG to lead the Kings 31-30. He found his groove in a majority of ways, starting off with a smooth drive to the rim to go along with two triples. The second quarter was just as explosive, pairing another lay-in and floater bank to nail a 12-point half. Hopefully Utah can find more and more ways to get him in a position to be the defense’s primary attention on the floor.

Patty Mills makes Utah Jazz debut

It was only in August that the Jazz acquired Patty Mills on a $3.3M deal for the sake of a locker room veteran to mentor this young Utah Jazz team. After missing Utah’s first 4 preseason games due to rest, the Aussie checked in to tonight’s game at the 3:25 mark in the first quarter. Patty Mills nailed his first bucket as a Jazzman on a lead-taking layup assisted by Jordan Clarkson in the second quarter. It wasn’t the only Clarkson to Mills point of the night. Late in the third quarter Jordan Clarkson found him beyond-the-arc for his second bucket. His minutes on the floor are going to be exactly what the Jazz need in terms of leadership.

John Collins makes a revelation on the bench

While his contract has always made him an interesting gamble for the Jazz, he was nothing short of great for the role he played off the bench against Sacramento. He contributed 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks in his 20 minutes on the court. He was aggressive, driving and getting in the lane. Not only that, he had flashes of improved defense that you’d expect from an 81st percentile shot-blocker. He contested a few shots around the rim to make Sabonis’ life a tad more difficult around the rim. Collins’ new role off the bench allows him to focus on more of the little things rather than trying to replace Kessler as an interior presence.

Next Up:

The Jazz complete their preseason tour on October 18th to face the Portland Trail Blazers at the Moda Center. Tipoff is scheduled to be at 8 PM MT.

COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah (KSL.com) — A Cottonwood Heights woman was charged Tuesday with murder and accused of shooting her estranged husband in the head as he slept and then disposing his body in a shallow grave.

Jennifer Gledhill, 41, is suspected of killing Matthew Johnson, 51, a member of a Special Operations Unit in the U.S. military, whom she had filed for divorce from in July. Johnson’s body has not yet been found.

Gledhill’s alleged crimes were revealed after she confessed to a man she was having an affair with, according to charging documents. That man then contacted police.

She is charged in 3rd District Court with murder, a first-degree felony; five counts of obstruction of justice and drug possession with intent to distribute, second-degree felonies; plus abuse or desecration of a dead body and witness tampering, third-degree felonies.

The Utah National Guard first contacted police on Sept. 25 to report that Johnson had not returned to work. A few days later on Sept. 28, Gledhill reported her estranged husband as missing while stating that she had not seen or heard from him since Sept. 20 when they had an argument, charging documents state.

“Gledhill stated that Matthew told her that he was going to be gone for a week and not to call him,” the charges allege.

But according to a man who police say was having an affair with Gledhill, she went to his house early on the morning of Sept. 22 “and was visibly distraught,” and told him that “she was likely going away for a long time,” court documents say.

Gledhill told the man that Johnson had arrived home and yelled at her because he knew she was having an affair. Then on the night of the Sept. 21, she used Johnson’s handgun to shoot him in the head as he slept in bed, according to the charges.

“Gledhill stated that she smashed Matthew’s cellphone and hid his vehicle in a neighborhood near their house. Gledhill told (the man) that she loaded Matthew’s body into a rooftop storage container, slid him down the stairs by herself, and loaded him into the back of her minivan. Gledhill stated that she had taken Matthew’s body north, dug a hole, and buried him in a shallow grave,” the charging documents allege.

Gledhill allegedly told the man to stay quiet “and that it was not a crime to not say anything.”

The man showed police text messages between Gledhill and him that included Gledhill stating, “I washed everything & vacuumed & it’s not an issue anymore,” the charges say. He also provided detectives with recorded phone calls with her “alluding to her actions.”

A neighbor told police she could hear Gledhill and Johnson arguing from the night of Sept. 21 into the early morning of Sept. 22. Then on Sept. 24, the neighbor observed Gledhill’s parents in the home “cleaning,” according to investigators.

When detectives later went into the residence with a search warrant, they found “the entire wall behind the master bed appeared to have fresh wipe marks from cleaning. Several reddish-brown spots were located on the walls, bed frame, and blinds of the master bedroom. Detectives noted that the wall behind the master bed was covered in bleach. The master bed was pulled away from the wall and the carpet below the bed was forensically tested and flashed positive for human blood in an area with a large circular pattern,” charging documents state. “Detectives noted a strong smell of chlorine in the basement and observed the black carpet on the stairs appeared to have bleach discoloration on several stairs.”

Gledhill’s parents were questioned and they said they were only helping their daughter buy a new mattress, according to police. But when asked if he had gone into the master bedroom, Gledhill’s father said, “I did not go in where the incident happened,” the charges state.

Investigators tracking Gledhill’s cellphone data say on Sept. 22 she traveled north on the I-215 west belt toward the Legacy Parkway and was later recorded on surveillance video at a gas station in Centerville. About five hours later, police say she is recorded on surveillance video “thoroughly cleaning” her vehicle at a gas station on Highland Drive.

“Records searches reveal that (Gledhill) had previously made unsuccessful attempts to secure a protective order against Matthew during the course of their marriage and was found by the court to be an instigator and one to goad Matthew into a response in order to get him in trouble. The state believes that (she) was very calculating in her crimes in that she arranged for the children to stay with her parents during the evening Matthew was killed,” court documents say.

“Investigation further revealed that she asked her parents to keep the children for another day, presumably while she was cleaning up the crime scene and disposing of Matthew’s body.”