Freeze threatens agriculture in the West

LOS ANGELES — The cold snap that has brought unseasonably cold temperatures to California has engulfed several other Western states.

The National Weather Service has told residents in most of southern Arizona, including Tucson, to prepare for near-record cold this morning. The NWS has issued a hard-freeze warning for the area effective until Tuesday morning.

The NWS said the temperatures are expected to dip low enough to kill some vegetation and crops while creating dangerous conditions for residents and pets. Exposed water pipes will freeze, the agency said.

A freeze warning is also in effect until Tuesday morning for the greater Phoenix area with morning lows in the low 30s for the city, while outlying suburbs and rural areas should expect temperatures to dip to the low 20s.

The NWS recommends residents take their pets and sensitive plants indoors.

The cold weather — stemming from a Canadian air mass — descended on Southern California on Thursday.

New Mexico is also facing below-freezing temperatures, while the high in Albuquerque will be at or below freezing for the next three days. Albuquerque saw below-freezing temperatures Friday night.

In Colorado, the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens battled Saturday in a playoff game, the Associated Press reported. It was 13 degrees when the players ran onto the field.

Much of southern Nevada will also be gripped by cold into Monday morning, as overnight temperatures may drop as low as 15 degrees.