Halloween weather forecast: Rains likely will hold off during peak trick-or-treat hours
A few communities have decided to fast-forward Halloween a day in deference to a soggy forecast for Thursday.
Atlantic City decided to fast-forward Halloween a day in deference to a soggy forecast for Thursday, and so has Hammonton, N.J.
West Chester and Ocean City have pushed the holiday back a day.
However, forecasters also are saying it’s likely that the atmosphere will hold an umbrella over the region during the peak trick-or-treat period from late Thursday afternoon into the evening, with a bonus: springlike temperatures.
“There does appear to be a lull in the precipitation,” said Alex Staarmann, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly, which on Tuesday had described a “spooky forecast for Halloween and especially Halloween night” in its daily discussion.
The lull could last from about 4 to 9 or 10 p.m. Thursday, said Paul Walker, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather Inc. What’s more, temperatures are due to zoom into the 70s.
Rain is likely into midafternoon, but officially, the weather service drops the chances of measurable precipitation to 28% by 4 p.m. and down to 9% at 8.
The outlook was enough to persuade Atlantic City and Hammonton to move up the trick-or-treat period to Wednesday evening, The weather service has a 21 percent chance of rain in Atlantic City at 4 p.m., and 9% four hours later.
Some towns were erring on the side of caution. West Chester decided to move back its trick-or-treating to Friday, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Ocean City also moved the schedule back a day.
Arguing for such caution is the fact that forecasts have been known to change, and this is a particularly complex setup — once again, the region is caught in one of those seasonal-transition battlegrounds.
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In any event, weather won’t be a factor at the Project Home Halloween party at the Honickman Learning Center and Comcast Technology Labs on North Judson Street, will include both a haunted and bounce house, snacks and music. Yes, it will be held inside.
One thing is almost certain: Trick-or-treaters won’t need parkas. A warm front then is due to lift through the region Thursday, driving up temperatures, though the rain is all but certain to revive later Thursday night with an approaching cold front, forecasters say.
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After the front brooms away the soggy detritus, the coldest air of the season is due to coincide with the changing of the clocks this weekend, with Sunday morning lows dropping into the 30s, even at Philadelphia International Airport.