Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox speaks during a COVID-19 briefing at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021. Cox unveiled a plan Friday to ramp up Utah's COVID-19 vaccine distribution as the state sees a post-holiday surge in new cases. Cox, a Republican, said he will issue an executive order requiring facilities to allocate their doses the week they are received and have local health departments manage distribution, with an expectation of administering 50,000 doses a week. (Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret News, via AP, Pool)

Gov. Cox Declares State Of Emergency After Freeze Destroys Fruit Crops

(Salt Lake City, UT) — Utah Governor Spencer Cox is declaring a state of emergency after freezing temperatures last month devastated fruit crops across parts of the state. State officials say nearly all apricot, cherry, pear, apple and plum crops were lost when temperatures dropped below 26 degrees for several days. The 30-day emergency order covers ten counties from northern to south-central Utah. Officials say some areas experienced freezing conditions lasting more than eight hours over four straight days.