WASHINGTON — It's almost that time, for candy corn and costumes during Halloween. We're less than a day away from when all the ghosts and goblins will come out. But will the weather be a trick or a treat?
Highs will be in the mid-60s to near 70 during the day. Most models agree on light showers in the afternoon and evening hours. The general consensus is that the showers will be "off and on" and scattered. This means it could be cloudy and dry and one neighborhood, but cloudy with showers in a nearby town. At this point, you can expect to see a shower at some point as kids hunt for candy, but perhaps not the entire time.
Of all the models, the Euro is by far the wetter model which brings showers in during the day on Halloween and continues into the trick-or-treat hours.
Halloween Background
Here is a little background on Halloween. Halloween or All Saints Eve was originally celebrated in May. The festival was then shifted to the eve of November by Pope Gregory III. The Druids celebrated the death of the old year on October 31 (their new year began on November 1st) lighting bonfires to help the sun through the dark days of winter.
Typical Halloween Weather in the DMV
On average, highs are typically in the 60s on Halloween Day in the DMV. In D.C. the average high is 64 degrees on Oct. 31st. For the past two Halloweens, there was no rain on the holiday, with highs in the 50s or 60s. In 2021 we saw a high of 69 in D.C. and in 2020 the high was 51. But it can vary. On Oct. 31, 2019, D.C. hit a high of 77 with showers and storms. Halloween weather that year was particularly wicked with severe storms across the metro.