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Snow is forecast across the Midwest mountains for Halloween

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Millions of Americans could face wintry weather on Halloween, including snow in the Upper Midwest and heavy snowfall in high elevations of the Pacific Northwest.

Meanwhile, the eastern U.S. is preparing for trick-or-treating in temperatures “reminiscent of summer,” the National Weather Service said Thursday.

Moderate to heavy snowfall is expected in portions of the Southern Cascades and Northern Intermountain Region as well as the Upper Midwest, the weather service said. Several winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories issued earlier this week remain in effect.

“A Pacific weather system will bring some snow westward, leaving the ground ghost-white across western Wyoming on Halloween. Gusty, scary winds will be blowing at times from Wamsutter to Casper,” said the weather service in Riverton, Wyoming.

A total of nearly 4 million people live in areas under winter weather warnings as of Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

According to the weather service, people in the mountain ranges could see up to a foot of snow as colder air combines with high humidity. Conditions may make travel difficult, especially in the dark.

“Be prepared for winter driving conditions and slower speeds if you need to venture into the highlands. Following the storm, much colder air will lead to frost and freezing problems at lower elevations,” the weather service warned Wednesday.

Halloween snow for the Upper Midwest

Moderate to heavy snowfall is expected on Halloween in parts of Minnesota, far northern Wisconsin and western parts of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the weather service said.

The metropolitan area most affected by snow on Halloween is Minneapolis/St. Paul, where the weather service said: “If you plan to travel on Thursday, you must be prepared for rapidly changing conditions.”

Rain turned to snowfall in the Twin Cities on Thursday morning, resulting in slushy conditions. The weather service there said it could snow more than 2.5 centimeters per hour at times on Thursday.

The cold will be widespread on Thursday: Weather.com meteorologist Caitlin Kaiser said: “If you live in the Northwest, the Rocky Mountains or the Upper Midwest, a winter coat is a good addition to your Halloween costume to keep you cool.”

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

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