Cox declares state of emergency over late-season freeze that created crop losses

SALT LAKE CITY — While he continues to mull over an emergency drought declaration, Gov. Spencer Cox has issued a state of emergency for another piece of Utah’s wacky winter weather.

Cox issued an emergency order on Friday for several Utah counties that were affected by a late-winter freeze in April, which damaged crops that had started to bloom early after a record-warm March. The order opens access to disaster relief programs for farmers in Box Elder, Cache, Davis, Iron, Juab, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Utah and Weber counties.

“Due to an unexpected freeze in April following unseasonably warm conditions, many are facing devastating crop losses,” the governor said in a statement. “This is the time in the season when emergency resources have the best chance to make a real difference in our farmers’ ability to survive and recover.”

Many farmers were already on edge when Utah received a record-low snowpack this year. Approximately 95% of the state’s water supply is tied to snowpack.

It was affected by record-high temperatures across the majority of the snow collection season. Utah’s average temperature throughout the first half of the water year, October through March, was nearly 3 degrees above its previous record since 1895.

This was capped off with a high-pressure system that brought June-like temperatures to Utah in late March, which also led to early crop production. However, many of these crops were then affected by large cold snaps in early April and then by another system later in the month.

This severely impacted many fruit species. Losses of 95% to 100% were reported from farmers who produce apricots, sweet and tart cherries, plums, peaches, pears and apples, state officials said. Pyne Farms in Utah County was one of them, telling KSL that the extreme weather wiped out its entire season’s harvest.

“We’re not going to take anything. Nothing,” said Kent Pyne, who runs the farm, which is a popular vendor at farmers’ markets across the Wasatch Front.

Wheat and alfalfa producers were already experiencing production losses, state officials added.

Cox’s order allows farmers in the 10 counties who were impacted by late freezes on April 3-4 and April 17-18 to access resources and assistance from both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. The order will last 30 days unless extended by the Utah Legislature.

“We appreciate Gov. Cox acting quickly on this and allowing us to open up our disaster relief programs, as well as provide farmers with eligibility for federal assistance,” said Kelly Pehrson, commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. “In tough situations like crop loss, we have a duty to get assistance to producers and help them through seasons that might otherwise be too difficult to weather.”

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This story is breaking and will be updated.