https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2025/06/27/drought-gov-cox-again-declares-day/
https://archive.is/5g8Vt
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared that Sunday, June 29, will be a “Day of Prayer and Fasting for Rain” and encouraged Utahns to conserve water as wildfire season intensifies.
It isn’t the first time Cox has urged Utahns to pray for divine intervention to address water shortages. In 2021, he called on Utahns to join him for a weekend of prayer, and two years later, as the state received record snowfall, he declared a day of “thanksgiving.”
Earlier this spring, Cox declared a state of emergency for 17 of the state’s 29 counties and said nearly half of the state — 46% — is suffering from drought.
According to a release from the governor’s office Friday morning, “extreme drought conditions” have expanded by more than 82% since earlier this month, and 380 wildfires have already burned more than 43,000 acres of land across the state. Of those wildfires, 275 have been caused by humans, according to the governor.
Nearly all, 80%, of the state is in “moderate to severe drought,” according to officials.
Cox, in a statement, said Utah is facing “a tough season” and needs both “divine help and practical action.”
“I invite every Utahn, whatever your faith or belief system, to join me this Sunday in a unified fast and prayer for rain,” the statement read. “And while we look heavenward, let’s do our part here at home — fix leaks, water lawns less and use every drop wisely. Small actions, taken together, can make a big difference for our state.”
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said in a text message to The Salt Lake Tribune that Cox “reached out to faith leaders across religious traditions statewide, encouraging them to share the invitation with their congregations.”
Earlier this month, the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a drought statement for Utah and southwest Wyoming.
“Water supply forecast across southwestern Utah remain less than 35% of average for the April-July runoff period,” the June 10 weather service release read.
On its website, the Utah Department of Natural Resources said in an update posted Friday, “Mother Nature is doing her part. We need to continue to do ours and look for ways to use our water supply efficiently and become more drought resilient.”
Cox’s declaration of a day of fasting comes one week before the traditional “fast Sunday” for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which generally is held on the first Sunday of the month.
https://archive.is/5g8Vt
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has declared that Sunday, June 29, will be a “Day of Prayer and Fasting for Rain” and encouraged Utahns to conserve water as wildfire season intensifies.
It isn’t the first time Cox has urged Utahns to pray for divine intervention to address water shortages. In 2021, he called on Utahns to join him for a weekend of prayer, and two years later, as the state received record snowfall, he declared a day of “thanksgiving.”
Earlier this spring, Cox declared a state of emergency for 17 of the state’s 29 counties and said nearly half of the state — 46% — is suffering from drought.
According to a release from the governor’s office Friday morning, “extreme drought conditions” have expanded by more than 82% since earlier this month, and 380 wildfires have already burned more than 43,000 acres of land across the state. Of those wildfires, 275 have been caused by humans, according to the governor.
Nearly all, 80%, of the state is in “moderate to severe drought,” according to officials.
Cox, in a statement, said Utah is facing “a tough season” and needs both “divine help and practical action.”
“I invite every Utahn, whatever your faith or belief system, to join me this Sunday in a unified fast and prayer for rain,” the statement read. “And while we look heavenward, let’s do our part here at home — fix leaks, water lawns less and use every drop wisely. Small actions, taken together, can make a big difference for our state.”
A spokesperson for the governor’s office said in a text message to The Salt Lake Tribune that Cox “reached out to faith leaders across religious traditions statewide, encouraging them to share the invitation with their congregations.”
Earlier this month, the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a drought statement for Utah and southwest Wyoming.
“Water supply forecast across southwestern Utah remain less than 35% of average for the April-July runoff period,” the June 10 weather service release read.
On its website, the Utah Department of Natural Resources said in an update posted Friday, “Mother Nature is doing her part. We need to continue to do ours and look for ways to use our water supply efficiently and become more drought resilient.”
Cox’s declaration of a day of fasting comes one week before the traditional “fast Sunday” for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which generally is held on the first Sunday of the month.
