The first Arctic blast of the season arrives on Halloween
Frightening weather is expected in parts of the United States over the Halloween holiday, along with extreme cold during next week's holiday.
Frightening weather is expected in parts of the United States over the Halloween holiday, along with extreme cold during next week's holiday.
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking an Arctic air mass pushing into the northern United States in time for Halloween, threatening to push temperatures below freezing for trick-or-treaters and even create a white Halloween for some.
Cold air from Siberia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland descends to the United States at different levels of the atmosphere.
The origins of the cold air that invades the United States in time for Halloween. (Fox Weather)
“Eventually, we're getting enough cold coming from the Russian source, from the Canadian source, that we're starting to see our temperatures near the freezing point around the Great Lakes,” FOX Weather meteorologist Amy Freese said.
This setup will also contribute to the potential for a snowstorm in parts of the central United States this weekend.
Scary weekend cold
Attention party planners: the Halloween spirit is on this weekend.
The FOX Forecast Center said many locations across the Plains were already 30 degrees colder than Thursday as the first blast of Arctic air settled into the region.
Chicago will see temperatures drop by about 20 degrees between Friday and Saturday.
Why carve pumpkins on Halloween?
Duluth, Minnesota, and Green Bay, Wisconsin, see lows near freezing by Sunday morning.
This is just a preview of what's to come when another blast of bone-chilling air wafts in early next week for Halloween.
The hair-raising chill of Halloween
By Tuesday night, it will be cold from the northern Plains to the northeast.
The Great Lakes region, upper Midwest and Northeast are expected to experience these “horrific” temperatures, requiring creative modifications to Halloween costumes.
Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit and Pittsburgh will see lows at or just below freezing through Halloween night and into Thursday.
In the Northeast, the most significant temperature changes likely won't occur until after Halloween.
New York City starts out with high temperatures in the 70s this weekend, but by Monday, high temperatures will remain in the 60s before low temperatures reach the 40s by next weekend.
As cold air descends deeper into the United States, even places like Texas could feel temperatures drop below freezing. It will be very cold for this time of year, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
Possibility of frightening snowfall
Dress up as a ghost on Halloween and you might disappear if it snows. A potential winter storm this weekend will likely bring at least light snow across parts of the central United States
The FOX Forecast Center is tracking rain, snow and mixed precipitation across the central United States, but it's still too early to say exactly when the winter weather will arrive and who will be most affected.
A pre-Halloween snow storm is heading toward the plains and rocks with ice threatening in the central United States
Farther east, places like Cleveland and Erie, Pennsylvania, and parts of western New York could also see lake-shaped snow starting this weekend.
Snow in Western New York at this time of year wouldn't be out of the ordinary. The first snowflakes in Buffalo average October 24, With the first measurable snowfall – at least 0.1 inch – by November 8.
