A potential nor’easter forming off the East Coast next week could bring rain, wind, and travel disruptions at the height of Halloween festivities, raising concerns across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic at a time when millions of families plan outdoor events.
Forecasters are tracking the conditions that may develop off the Eastern Seaboard in the middle of next week, raising the likelihood of widespread rain and strong winds for Halloween, according to early model indications from NBC Boston and The Weather Channel.
The event is still six to 10 days out, and meteorologists caution that uncertainty remains high.
Forecast models are split: Some show a strong coastal low-pressure system forming and tracking toward the Northeast, while others keep the storm weaker or farther offshore.
But the timing window is aligning with Halloween week, with rain potentially developing on Tuesday and lingering through Friday.
NBC Boston reported that a strong storm track would likely bring drenching rain and gusty winds across New England.
The Weather Channel similarly warned that even in a weaker scenario, scattered showers appear likely across portions of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
In either case, forecasters say the setup is unfavorable for a dry Halloween.
The risk of coastal flooding currently appears limited due to lower astronomical tides. That outlook could change if the storm strengthens significantly before landfall, but for now, meteorologists are downplaying the potential for major tidal damage.
The forecast follows a history of disruptive Halloween storms along the East Coast.
In 2011, a rare October nor’easter dumped heavy, wet snow across 12 states from Maine to West Virginia, toppling trees and knocking out power to parts of Connecticut for nearly two weeks.
Officials in a number of towns postponed trick-or-treating as a result.
Minnesota saw its own extreme event in 1991, when a record-setting snowstorm dropped nearly 30 inches on the Twin Cities and more than 36 inches in Duluth. Some trick-or-treaters resorted to skis to navigate snow-covered streets.
That year, the “perfect storm” formed in the Atlantic due to an unusual alignment of rare weather factors and caused the deaths of several Massachusetts fishermen. The storm inspired the bestselling book “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger.
Analysts note that shifting late-October weather patterns have repeatedly disrupted fall events in recent years.
More forecast clarity is expected in the coming 48 to 72 hours as models begin to align. Forecasters advise East Coast residents to monitor updates as Halloween approaches.
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