Cincinnati Halloween forecast: Warm, with rain possible during trick-or-treating

Cincinnati’s Halloween forecast calls for warm temperatures, but rain could arrive as families head out for trick-or-treating Saturday, Oct. 31.

The National Weather Service’s forecast updated at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 26, calls for mostly cloudy skies Saturday with a high near 75 degrees, followed by a 50% chance of rain Saturday night.

Forecasters at the NWS Wilmington office said the wet weather could begin as early as Saturday evening, although the timing remains uncertain. Families planning to trick-or-treat in Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout should check the forecast again closer to Halloween.

That is well above normal for late October.

Temperatures through the week are expected to stay above normal, with highs ranging from 74 to 78 degrees, according to the NWS. Overnight lows will warm into the upper 40s to lower 50s by midweek.

The dry outlook marks a shift from earlier forecasts. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Oct. 23 that the NWS had flagged rising rain chances and low forecast confidence tied to Tropical Storm Melissa. The Climate Prediction Center had forecast below-normal temperatures for southern Ohio and above-average rainfall through early November, the Enquirer reported.

The Farmers' Almanac also predicted a warmer and wetter-than-normal Halloween season for the Ohio Valley, with unsettled weather possible from Oct. 29 through Nov. 4, according to the Enquirer's roundup by Haadiza Ogwude.

But the NWS updated its outlook. The Oct. 25 forecast discussion said high pressure will predominate, and low to mid levels of the atmosphere will remain dry through the week. A weak front will move through the area Monday, Oct. 26, into Monday night before washing out by midweek. That front is not expected to bring precipitation to the Cincinnati area.

Forecasts can still shift with five days to go. The NWS noted that the earlier uncertainty around Tropical Storm Melissa had driven wide variation in weather models, and conditions could change as Halloween approaches.

Trick-or-treat hours in Cincinnati are 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, according to WLWT. Hyde Park Square held its annual free Trick-or-Treat on the Square event on Saturday, Oct. 24, with children collecting treats from participating shops around the square, according to the Hyde Park Square events page.

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