Where trick-or-treaters experience spooky showers

AccuWeather meteorologists have all the details on where showers and thunderstorms will spook revelers and where the weather will be shockingly mild.

As Halloween approaches, candy buckets are filled and the finishing touches are put on costumes.

AccuWeather's Halloween forecast has all the details on where costume layers may need to be changed due to the unusual October warmth and where an umbrella will be needed to protect ghosts and goblins from the rain while trick-or-treating.

Paul Pastelok, AccuWeather's senior long-range forecaster, expects two storms on October 31 to have a significant impact on the weather across the United States. The areas flanking these storms are likely to experience mild and dry weather on All Saints Day.

The forecast for Halloween this year is a far cry from what revelers in the Northeast experienced in 2023. Last year, a cold front moving through the region created wet and cool conditions, with some snow mixing across the northern Plains.

“There are no major concerns about snow, ice or cold across much of the country this year,” Pastelok said.

Due to mostly dry weather, especially closer to the coast, and warmth in late October, Halloween will be a treat for much of the eastern third of the country this year.

“On Halloween, we experience a lot of mild weather overall during the day, with some locations being downright warm,” Pastelok said.

High temperatures Thursday are expected to range from 70 degrees in New England to near 80 degrees across much of the Mid-Atlantic. In places like Washington, DC and Philadelphia, temperatures could be below 80°, which is more than 15° above the historical average for October 31st. The warmest Halloween on record for the nation's capital was 85 degrees, recorded in 1950. The temperature in the City of Brotherly Love rose as high as 82 on Halloween in 1946.

A southwesterly breeze will pick up across the region as a cold front approaches from the west.

“As we get into the evening hours and the sun goes down, the breeze and drop in temperature will make it feel a little chilly, even if temperatures are above historical average,” Pastelok said, adding that this may require a thin layer added under costumes.

The timing of the front is expected to be fast enough to spread rain across the eastern Great Lakes during the evening hours. For places like Buffalo, New York and Erie, Pennsylvania, a rain jacket can come in handy.

Dry and mild weather is expected to prevail for large parts of the Southeast. The only exception may be the east coast of Florida from Daytona Beach to Miami and the Keys, where clouds and showers may spook trick-or-treaters. Even further south, a tropical storm could be brewing near the Caribbean Sea toward the end of October.

“In Raleigh and Charlotte, people may need to bring fans as temperatures for trick-or-treaters start in the 80s and then drop back into the 70s,” Pastelok said.

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The cold front that will bring a breeze across the Northeast on Halloween will spread across the middle of the country. Therefore, the wet weather is not expected to extend over a large stretch from west to east, but possibly over a large strip from north to south.

“Thunderstorms may occur from Houston northward to Little Rock and Memphis, Tennessee,” Pastelok said. With multiple showers and thunderstorms in this region, it may be necessary to bring an umbrella for trick-or-treaters or even seek shelter indoors during thunderstorms and lightning.

Further north, rain may dampen celebrations in parts of the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region, including Detroit and Cleveland. Temperatures are expected to drop into the 50s through the evening and any rain may make the air cooler.

Elsewhere in the country, the weather will be good for Halloween celebrations from Kansas City to Denver.

On Halloween, when a storm moves in from the Pacific Ocean, the coldest air and highest chances of wintry weather are limited to the northwestern states.

“The higher elevations in the Northwest, above 2,000 feet, can see some tricks from Mother Nature in winter conditions,” Pastelok said.

Accidental raindrops may spook trick-or-treaters in Seattle and Portland, but it's not expected to cause a disaster this holiday season. Those sensitive to cool weather will need an extra layer or two under their costume as temperatures are expected to drop into the 40s in the evening hours.

There will be no weather-related concerns as children and adults fill the streets in the Southwest. Temperatures in Phoenix, which have been exceptionally warm so far this month, are expected to remain in the 70s through Thursday evening.

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