Happy Halloween!!! Despite the fact that the forecast is a bit tricky…I believe many will find it to be a treat! The average temperature for the end of October is usually in the upper 50s in Boston. Over the past several (5) years, Halloween has been unseasonably mild. Last year the high temperature in Boston was 63…the year before 64…2006 it was 65….2005 it was 70….2004 it was 72! Well we are going to keep this trend going this year making for a sweet forecast! However…I did mention a few tricky parts…so here it goes…

This morning, cloudy skies with a few areas of drizzle are likely. The cloudy conditions have led to a mild morning, with temperatures mainly in the 50s.  We will continue to watch a cold front slowly move eastward that has barreled through the US with heavy rain and snow, but now bringing a band of rain to the eastern Great Lakes to the TN Valley. Ahead of this front, gusty south to southwest winds will continue to transport mild conditions into our region. Honestly if this were a bright sunny day, temperatures would rocket to near record levels. However…due to the abundance of moisture in the atmosphere, mostly cloudy skies will prevail and it will be hard to reach those record temperatures. Yet, it will be warm…well above average with highs in the afternoon reaching the mid to upper 60s and even a few spots in the low 70s.  Even though we will stay fairly cloudy, we may find a few breaks of sunshine in between the clouds. Any breaks that may develop will play a role on how high the temperatures will go. The layers in the atmosphere above us are very warm and windy. Even though a few gusts to near 30 mph have been recorded this morning, the peak of the gusty conditions will occur this afternoon. The National Weather Service has issues a Wind Advisory from 1pm to 6pm this evening for most of central and eastern MA as well as the NH seacoast and coastal ME.  South to southwest winds will range between 15 to 25 mph with gusts as high as 40 to 50 mph. This is assuming that skies remain mostly cloudy…with any breaks of sun, better mixing in the upper to lower levels of the atmosphere may occur and this could lead to even windier conditions. (See…these are the tricky parts of the forecast!) Another tricky part will be the timing of the prefrontal precipitation. As this front nears the area this evening, a few showers are likely to pop ahead of the main band of precipitation.  A spot shower could be possible during the afternoon, although near sunset is when a few to scattered showers may develop in western areas, slowly translating eastward during the evening.

The actual frontal passage occurs tonight, so we will find rain at times. It will remain mild overnight too, due to the mostly cloudy skies and rain showers. A few lingering showers will be found early tomorrow morning, especially for the Cape and Islands, however as the front continues to push offshore, gradual clearing will occur for the Bay state. (Don’t forget that we gain an extra hour of sleep…Turn those clocks back! Yet…sunset will be at 4:37pm! BOO!)  The area will find a mix of sun and clouds during the afternoon. It will be cooler tomorrow than today, but right near normal with highs in the mid to upper 50s. Winds will also be much lighter and out of the northwest.  

Overall, the Trick or Treat forecast isn’t too bad with very mild conditions. Just remember to hold onto your candy as those winds will be gusty! Also, before you head out, don’t forget to check out the latest Doppler radar  to see what’s happening in your neighborhood! Have a Happy and safe Halloween everyone!