Eastern US to turn milder for Halloween ahead of late-week rain
Milder air will make a comeback across the eastern United States just in time for Halloween, but a late-week storm will prevent the warmth from hanging around long.
A welcome change awaits those anxious for a break from the recent chilly stretch.
"After the weekend nor’easter and chilly weather, there will finally be a return to warmer weather for the Northeast and mid-Atlantic toward midweek," according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Steve Travis.
"Southwesterly winds ahead of a storm forming over the Mississippi and Ohio valleys will bring mild air from the Gulf of Mexico all the way to the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Wednesday and Thursday," he added.
Highs near 60 F are expected to make a comeback on Halloween in Boston with temperatures approaching or exceeding the 70-degree-Fahrenheit mark in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.
Warmer air will also grace the Southeast, allowing temperatures to rebound back to around 80 F in Atlanta and Augusta, Georgia. Highs in the 70s will return to Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina.
At most, costumes with long sleeves or light jackets incorporated into them may be better from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to Great Kills (Staten Island), New York and Salem, Massachusetts.
Halloween evening may not be comfortable and dry across all of the Northeast, however.
The milder air may stop short of reaching far northern New England at midweek, and some rain can put a damper on Halloween festivities from the Ohio River to northern New England.
Trick-or-treaters from Scary, West Virginia, to Pumpkin Hill, New York, and Deadmans Corner, Maine, will have to balance umbrellas with their candy bags.
Download the free AccuWeather app to find out what weather is anticipated in your community on Halloween.
After Halloween, temperatures may climb a few more degrees for Thursday along the Interstate-95 corridor. New York City may experience its first 70-degree day since Oct. 11.
"The warm weather will not stick around for long," Travis said.
The drenching rain and thunderstorms soaking the Mississippi and Ohio valleys on Halloween is expected to track across the East Coast Thursday night into Friday.
The Northeast is expected to be on the mild side of the storm, preventing a return of snow to the Appalachian Mountains.
Some of the rain that does target the East can pour down heavily, leading to travel disruptions and ruining outdoor plans.
While the risk for flooding from this storm will be greatest in the Mississippi and Ohio valleys, localized flooding in poor drainage and urban areas of the Northeast cannot be ruled out. Residents should make sure that storm drains are not clogged by fallen leaves.
Motorists and those traveling by foot should remain alert for slick conditions that wet leaves can create.
In the Southeast, a localized number of the thunderstorms may turn severe. Even in the absence of damaging thunderstorms, rain and lightning can disrupt ongoing clean-up operations in the wake of hurricanes Florence and Michael.
As the rain sweeps across the East, an end to the milder weather will come.
"Much chillier weather will follow the rain in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast this weekend," according to Travis.
Temperatures will also tumble across the Southeast.
How mild do you think it’ll get? Make your prediction and play Forecaster Challenge.
