Halloween forecast 2026: Who gets rain, storms and chilly trick-or-treating weather
Rain and thunderstorms could disrupt Halloween trick-or-treating across parts of the southwest and central US, while much of the East stays dry. Find out where chilly weather may require extra costume layers.
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Trick-or-treaters in parts of the southwestern and central United States may need to dodge more than ghosts and goblins this Halloween, with rain and thunderstorms threatening festivities Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31.
For some, this means umbrellas and raincoats should be at the ready for Halloween night, but forecasters looking into their meteorological crystal ball warn the exact timing and location of the rain can shift leading up to the holiday weekend.
As autumn progresses, the jet stream — a ribbon of strong winds high in the atmosphere — typically strengthens and can move storms and fronts along more quickly, especially when it is aligned from west to east.
The jet stream pattern has kept much of the central and eastern United States dry and sunny over the past week. That same pattern is forecast to persist in the East this weekend through much of next week.
Farther west, a storm has been crawling along, slowly spreading showers and thunderstorms from the Pacific coast to the Rockies.
As the jet stream changes, moisture in the west should start to advance eastward.
Most of the interior Northwest and much of the eastern third of the nation are expected to stay dry Friday and Saturday, paving the way for pleasant, but potentially still chilly, trick-or-treating weather in the evening. One exception will be a cold front bringing spotty showers to the northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Friday, then the Northeast on Saturday.
Cooler air will spread from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast and linger in the Northwest, so children heading out for Halloween may need extra layers under their costumes. For example, around New York City, Boston, Seattle and Great Falls, Montana, temperatures could fall from the 50s into the 40s during the evening.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely Friday from the interior Southwest into parts of the south-central United States, potentially disrupting outdoor Halloween activities. Showers could also reach farther west to Phoenix, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
Rain and thunderstorms are forecast to spread into the central Rockies, central Plains and middle and lower Mississippi Valley from Friday into Saturday. If moisture from Vance feeds into the storm system, it could increase rainfall and raise the risk of flooding in some areas.
The timing and eastward reach of the rain could shift, which will determine which communities, including large cities such as Denver, Dallas and Kansas City, Missouri, have wet weather during trick-or-treating. Families in the potential rain zone should check forecast updates and have rain ponchos ready.
Along the coast from Florida to the Carolinas, northeast winds, periodic coastal flooding and showers are expected through much of next week. Conditions may gradually improve from north to south heading into Halloween weekend as high pressure builds southward from the Northeast.
Showers and above-normal tides could linger across southeastern Florida on Halloween, potentially affecting trick-or-treating in cities such as Miami.
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