Freeze warning for Cochise County on Monday night

Much of Pima County is still seeing temperatures near 90 degrees, but to the southeast seasonal cooling is happening more rapidly: a freeze watch will be in effect Monday night into Tuesday morning for parts of Cochise County.

Temperatures may range from 29–34 degrees in the Upper Gila River Valley, Upper San Pedro River Valley and eastern Cochise County above 5,000 feet, forecasters said. The freeze warning includes the Sulphur Springs Valley, St. David and Benson areas, the National Weather Service said.

The potentially freezing conditions will occur between 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Tuesday, with frost and cold that can kill crops and other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.

Sunday night, a few isolated areas could see temperatures drop below freezing, NWS said.

“Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold,” NWS said.
“To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they
should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have
in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground
pipes to protect them from freezing.”

While an Arctic weather system is expected to bring widespread wintry weather to the Midwest and Northeast over the next few days — with a blizzard of up to a foot of snow expected in Chicago — temperatures in Tucson and to the west in Pima County are remaining 4–7 degrees above normal, NWS forecasters said.