Halloween forecast: Where trick-or-treaters will get spooky showers
AccuWeather meteorologists have all the details on where showers and thunderstorms will spook revelers and where the weather will be frightfully mild.
Will the forecast be a spooky one for your Halloween?
As Halloween swiftly approaches, candy buckets are being filled, and final touches are being added to costumes.
AccuWeather's Halloween forecast has all the details on where costume layers may need to be altered due to unusual October warmth and where an umbrella will be needed to shield ghosts and goblins from rain during trick-or-treating.
AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Forecaster Paul Pastelok expects two storms to be the main influencers of the weather in the United States on Oct. 31. One storm is expected to be over the Northwest, while the other will be located in the central part of the country. Areas flanking these storms will likely experience mild and dry weather on All Hallows' Eve.
Mother Nature to provide a treat for the Eastern Seaboard
The forecast for Halloween this year is a far cry from what revelers in the Northeast experienced in 2023. Last year, a cold front passing through the region brought damp and chilly conditions, with some snow mixing in across the northern tier.
"This year, there are no major concerns as far as snow, ice or cold across much of the country," Pastelok said.
Halloween will be a treat for much of the eastern third of the country this year due to mainly dry weather, especially closer to the coast, and late-October warmth.
"We're looking at a lot of mild weather overall during the day on Halloween, with some places being downright warm," Pastelok said.
High temperatures Thursday are expected to range from the 70s in New England to near 80 across much of the mid-Atlantic. Temperatures could reach the lower 80s in places such as Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia, which is more than 15 degrees above the historical average for Oct. 31. The warmest Halloween on record for the nation's capital is 85, set in 1950. The temperature in the City of Brotherly Love has risen to as high as 82 on Halloween, which happened in 1946.
A breeze from the southwest will pick up across the region as a cold front approaches from the west.
"As you get into the evening hours and the sun dips down, the breeze and temperature fall will make it feel a little cool, even with temperatures being above the historical average," Pastelok said, adding that this may require a thin layer to be added under costumes.
The timing of the front is expected to be quick enough to spread rain across the eastern Great Lakes during the evening hours. A rain jacket may come in handy for places such as Buffalo, New York, and Erie, Pennsylvania.
Dry and mild weather is expected to prevail for much of the Southeast. The one exception may be along the east coast of Florida from Daytona Beach to Miami and the Keys where clouds and showers can spook trick-or-treaters. Even farther south, a tropical storm may be brewing in the vicinity of the Caribbean Sea as October comes to a close.
"People may need to bring fans with them in Raleigh and Charlotte as temperatures will start in the 80s for trick-or-treating and fall back into the 70s," Pastelok said.
Stormy weather may frighten Texas to Michigan
The cold front that will stir up a breeze across the Northeast on Halloween will creep across the center of the country. As a result, wet weather is not expected to cover a large distance from west to east but may span a large swath from north to south.
"Thunderstorms can occur from Houston northward to Little Rock and Memphis, Tennessee," Pastelok said. Multiple showers and thunderstorms in this region may warrant bringing an umbrella for trick-or-treating or even taking shelter indoors in the event of thunder and lightning.
Farther north, rain may dampen festivities in parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region, including Detroit and Cleveland. Temperatures are expected to fall through the 50s during the evening, and any rain may add a chill to the air.
Elsewhere in the country, the weather will be good for Halloween festivities from Kansas City to Denver.
Showers to spook the Northwest
On Halloween, as a storm approaches from the Pacific Ocean, the coldest air and highest chances for wintry weather will be limited to the Northwestern states.
"The higher elevations in the Northwest, above 2,000 feet, can experience some tricks from Mother Nature with wintry conditions," Pastelok said.
Hit-or-miss raindrops can spook trick-or-treaters in Seattle and Portland, but the holiday season is not expected to be a washout. Those sensitive to cool weather will need an extra layer or two under their costume, as temperatures are expected to fall into the 40s during the evening hours.
There will be no weather-related concerns as kids and adults fill the neighborhood streets in the Southwest. Temperatures in Phoenix, which have been exceptionally warm so far this month, are projected to be in the 70s by Thursday evening.
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