SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP) — On Halloween, trick-or-treaters in the Northeast experienced unusually warm temperatures, allowing them to enjoy the evening in their Bluey or Beetlejuice costumes without heavy layers underneath.
This year, New York City reached a sweltering high of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27.2 Celsius) on Halloween, while Boston also enjoyed a warm spell at 78 degrees (25.5 C). In Caribou, Maine, temperatures climbed to 75 degrees (23.8 C), significantly above the typical Halloween average of 47 degrees (8 C).
In Buffalo, New York, residents celebrated a record-breaking temperature of 78 degrees, a stark contrast to the previous year’s Halloween, which was marked by light snowfall.
As the sun began to set on Thursday evening, parents in Schenectady walked their children, dressed as ninjas, superheroes, and princesses, down residential streets. The pleasant weather in the 70s made for an enjoyable experience. Tom Kaczmarek, with his 4-year-old daughter dressed as a ghost, remarked, “It’s not your typical Halloween at all, but it’s great not having to wrap our daughter in a coat, letting her showcase her costume with pride.”
Twelve-year-old Emma Abraham, donning a Joker costume, noted that while she felt a bit warm, she happily powered through the night of trick-or-treating.
According to Samantha Borisoff, a climatologist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, Halloween temperatures this year were about 20 degrees warmer than average. She mentioned that October weather can vary significantly, making every Halloween unique.
This year’s Halloween weather stands in stark contrast to 2011, when New York’s Hudson Valley was hit by an early Nor’easter that brought heavy, wet snow just days before the holiday. Similarly, Halloween in 2012 was overshadowed by the destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy, which battered the northeastern coastline and caused an estimated $65 billion in damages.
As night fell on Thursday, the warm and dry conditions contributed to a festive atmosphere in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where crowds gathered for the 51st annual Village Halloween Parade. Many participants embraced this year’s theme of “meow” with an array of cat costumes that ranged from adorable to spine-chilling.
Meanwhile, parts of eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin witnessed their first snowfall of the season, though accumulations were uncertain due to the still-warm ground. In downtown Minneapolis, snowflakes simply melted upon landing on the pavement.
Despite the shifts in weather elsewhere, revelers in the Northeast took full advantage of the warm weather while it lasted, as temperatures were anticipated to return to seasonal norms starting Friday. Nelson Rose, dressed in a colorful clown mask, enjoyed the late-day sun in Schenectady while pushing a double stroller with his grandchildren. “It’s the end of October, and we’re still enjoying 70-degree weather,” he commented. “I’m certainly not complaining.”
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Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski contributed from Minneapolis.
