October 2024 Forecast: Not-So-Scary Halloween Weather

October 2024 Weather Predictions

October temperatures will be cooler than normal from New England southward through the Atlantic Corridor, westward across the Appalachians, and the Great Lakes through the Upper Midwest, and near to above normal across the rest of the country. 

Precipitation will be above normal from the Upper Midwest through the northern portions of the Heartland, across much of the Pacific Coast and Alaska, and near to below normal elsewhere. 

In Canada, October temperatures will be warmer than normal across Atlantic Canada, from the Prairies through British Columbia, and from the Yukon into southern portions of the Northwest Territories, and near to below normal elsewhere. 

Precipitation will be above normal across Atlantic Canada, the northern portion of southern Ontario, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, and near to below normal elsewhere.

What about the rest of autumn? Read our Fall Weather Forecast to see what’s coming!

Notable Dates in October

October 7 is Child Health Day in the United States. There will be showers across northern New England, southern Florida, the Great Lakes, the Pacific Northwest, much of Alaska, and eastern and western portions of Hawaii—if you are driving the kids to the doctor for a checkup in any of these areas, you’ll need to use your windshield wipers. Elsewhere across the country, it will be sunny and bright for the kids to get out and exercise.

On October 12, National Farmer’s Day, it will be sunny and dry for the harvest from southern New England through the Southeast; westward through the Appalachians, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and the Deep South; and across central Hawaii. Across the rest of the country, stormy conditions and rainfall could slow down crop gathering.

October 14 is Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the U.S. and Thanksgiving Day in Canada. The weather will cooperate for outdoor parades across much of the eastern United States, where it will be sunny and dry from a substantial portion of the Atlantic Coast through the Great Lakes; in the Ohio Valley, Deep South, and Pacific Northwest; and across central Hawaii. Rainfall could dampen outdoor plans for much of the rest of the country. Across Canada, rainy and cool conditions will occur in many of the provinces, so a warm turkey dinner with friends and family will hit the spot.

Alaska Day, October 18, celebrates the formal transfer of territories from Russia to the United States in 1867. Outdoor plans, including the reenactment of the flag-raising in Sitka, could be impacted by periods of rain and snow.

And what about the most ghoulish day of the month?

Halloween Forecast: Tricks and Treats

Halloween, October 31, will feature dry conditions for trick-or-treaters from the Northeast southward through Florida, westward across the Appalachians and the Ohio Valley, from the Deep South through Texas and the southern Plains, over the Pacific Northwest, and across central and western Hawaii. It will be cool across most of these areas, so an extra layer of warmth will help in the evening. Farther north and west, break out the winter coats for some snow and chill across the Upper Midwest, the High Plains, and Alaska. Elsewhere across the country, keep the umbrellas handy for some showers. 

In Canada, it will be sunny and dry across Atlantic Canada, the Prairies, and the Yukon. Elsewhere, showers could dampen outdoor plans, while snow flurries will fall across the Northwest Territories.

What’s in store for winter?
Here at The Old Farmer’s Almanac, we specialize in predicting long-range weather. See what we’re thinking as we look ahead to the winter season.