While folks in the East will be treated to a dry and seasonably cool Halloween, that won't be the case in much of the central and western U.S., where some rain and even snow will make for a tricky holiday.
In fact, some spots in California and the Southwest will see their first rainy Halloween since the Reagan Administration. "It has been 30-40 years since many of our cities have seen a rainy Halloween," the National Weather Service in San Diego posted on X this week.
Overall, "Halloween weather is forecast to be wet in some parts of the country, but looks either warm or dry for most others as parents get ready to shepherd their kids around their neighborhoods Saturday [Oct. 31]," said Weather.com meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast.
"Fortunately, we don't have a major storm in the forecast Saturday [Oct. 31]. But there may be weather headaches for some," he said.
Rare Halloween rain in California
For the first time since the 1980s, kids in southern California could have to confront raindrops as they trick-or-treat this Halloween.
The last Halloween with measurable rain in San Diego was in 1987, according to the weather service. That's also the case in Palm Springs and Riverside, California, the weather service said.
Most major metropolitan areas in Southern California are expected to receive less than 1 inch of rain, according to AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
In parts of the Sierra Nevada, the precipitation could fall as snow, Erdman added.
Southwest soaker
The rain that's forecast in the Southwest this weekend is part of an unusually wet pattern, partially fueled by tropical moisture from an atmospheric river known as the Pineapple Express, AccuWeather said.
Across the Southwest, "much of this region is highly susceptible to rainfall given how wet it has been lately, and the approach of a moisture-laden Pacific system during the closing hours of Halloween is all tricks and no treats," NOAA's Weather Prediction Center said in an online forecast.
"Scattered flash flooding is anticipated over central Arizona tomorrow [Oct. 31], before the heavy rainfall threat ramps up over the Four Corners on Sunday [Nov. 1]," the Weather Prediction Center said in a forecast issued Oct. 30.
One bright spot: kids in Phoenix may luck out, as the rain that's forecast there should hold off until very late on Halloween, likely after trick-or-treating is over.
South-central showers
While there is not a major storm on the weather map, there is a threat of scattered showers and thunderstorms in parts of the South Halloween evening, Erdman said.
AccuWeather predicts that thunderstorms may accompany the downpours in some communities from South Texas to southern Arkansas, including in Houston and New Orleans.
Chilly Northwest
The nation's chilliest spots will come as no surprise, considering that it is late October, across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Washington and eastern Oregon, where temperatures will be in the 30s and 40s, AccuWeather said.
"So, particularly in the Northwest, even if there is not any rain or snow, you may want to choose a warmer Halloween costume for your kids this year," Erdman advised.
Warm, wet Midwest
While pleasant temperatures rule across the Midwest, with 50s or 60s in most areas, there is a threat of showers, possibly a rumble of thunder, especially from parts of Missouri into the Lower Ohio Valley, Erdman said.
"There could also see some showers across the northernmost portions of Minnesota and much of North Dakota," he said.
Nice in the East
Except for the Florida peninsula, "high pressure will be in control, so we're not expecting any rain or snow," Erdman said. "Temperatures should be pleasant by end of October standards and winds shouldn't be a problem."
Some spotty showers could fall in Florida, AccuWeather said.
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Halloween weather: Treats for the East, tricks for the central, western U.S.
