N.J. Halloween forecast: Wicked weather with rain, 60 mph winds may hold off until after trick-or-treating - NJ.com

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The latest Halloween weather forecast for New Jersey may not be a washout after all for trick-or-treaters despite a wicked mix of heavy rain and the potential for winds up to 50 mph on Thursday. In this case, the timing of the storm may provide the perfect lull for parts of the state.

Parents might want to keep umbrellas and ponchos handy when kids take to the streets this afternoon and evening, but the chances of heavy rain from 4 p.m until into the evening have diminished considerably across much of the state since the gloomy forecasts of earlier this week, forecasters say.

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Some New Jersey towns already rescheduled trick-or-treating hours in advance of the anticipated storm, while others scoffed at the idea that rain would dampen Halloween festivities. The 81st Annual Toms River Halloween Parade, a huge event that draws big crowd each year, is still a go for Thursday at 7 p.m.

Even better, it’s likely to be quite warm for the last day of October with temperatures climbing into the low 70s by this afternoon. When the festivities wind down early evening, temps will still be in mid to upper 60s.

The most likely scenario is that light rain or drizzle is falling during prime trick-or-treat hours, especially north of Interstate 78. In Central and South Jersey, there's a better chance for drier conditions, the National Weather Service says in its forecast update Thursday morning.

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AccuWeather.com’s Halloween forecast matches the National Weather Service’s predictions.

"Mainly rain-free and mild conditions are anticipated (for) Delaware, New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania (and) southeastern New York state during Thursday evening," senior meterologist Brett Anderson said.

The worst of Thursday’s weather is expected to be later Thursday and into Friday when a line of showers and thunderstorms moves over the area, with wind gusts as high as 60 mph triggering potential power outages, the National Weather Service says. Temperatures will drop 10 to 15 degrees in a four-hour period as well, though there remains plenty of uncertainty about when the heaviest rain will fall and when it will end.

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In the meantime, Thursday starts out warm and somewhat wet with chances of rain early in the day before a drier pocket moves in this afternoon. Temperatures are mainly in the 60s as of 6:45 a.m. with a some areas in the northwest part of the state in the upper 50s.

Once the late evening and overnight storms moved away, New Jersey can expect several days of dry, cool weather ahead as Novembers starts. Friday, Saturday and Sunday should be sunny with highs in the 50s and nighttime lows dipping into the 30s.

In western Passaic county, it’ll get cold enough Friday night into Saturday morning that a freeze watch will be in effect. Temps could plunge into the upper 20s there and kill sensitive vegetation, the weather service says.

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Current New Jersey radar

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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2019-10-31 11:08:49Z
https://www.nj.com/news/g66l-2019/10/11090fd1e1659/nj-halloween-forecast-wicked-weather-with-rain-60-mph-winds-may-hold-off-until-after-trickortreating.html