This Halloween could be one of the hottest on record in parts of the Great Lakes, Northeast and mid-Atlantic, as a warm front sweeps in from the Southern Plains.
Nearly 50 daily high temperature records may fall on Thursday, with temperatures rising more than 20 degrees above normal, mimicking late summer conditions, rather than Halloween.
In Boston, temperatures could hit 80 degrees, potentially marking the second hottest Halloween ever, just shy of the 81-degree record set in 1946. The average for this time of year is around 57 degrees.
Philadelphia is forecasted to reach 81 degrees, which would also place it as the second hottest Halloween on record, behind the 82 degrees recorded in 1946. The city’s typical temperature for late October hovers around 61 degrees.
New York City may see a high of 75 degrees, which would rank as the sixth hottest Halloween. The all-time high of 81 degrees, set in 1946, still stands, while four other years have seen temperatures reach 76 degrees. Typically, the average temperature in New York during this period is around 59 degrees.
Washington, DC, could reach 80 degrees, tying it for the third hottest Halloween.
Some trick-or-treaters in other parts of the country may need a rain jacket to accompany their costumes, with rain expected across much of the Upper Midwest down through the Ark-La-Tex region on Halloween night.
Strong to severe thunderstorms, including damaging winds, are possible from Indianapolis south to Shreveport, Louisiana, late Thursday. Rain chances are also likely Thursday night for western cities like Seattle, Portland, Boise, Idaho, and Redding, California.
Others may need to add snow boots or other winter gear to their costumes. In Duluth, Minnesota, rain will transition to snow after 4 p.m., and snow is also likely in the higher elevations of the Cascades and Olympics in the Pacific Northwest.