Favourite Halloweens 🎃

[TheOgre]

Halloween falls in what in my opinion is the least interesting period of the year weather wise, especially in recent years being often wet and mild or cool.

However, there were frosty periods around Halloweens 2018 and 2019. In my area there was a very light and short snowfall on 27 October 2018. I can’t remember what Halloween day itself was like in either year. 2008 saw a cold snap just before Halloween as well.

If you prefer warmth, 2014 was the warmest on record reaching 23.6C (74.5F) at Kew Gardens.
2015 at the same time of year had the warmest November day on record at 22.3C (72.1F) in Trawsgoed, Wales on November 1 after another warm Halloween.

I’d like a frosty and misty morning with crisp sun for the rest of the day. What is your preference for Halloween weather?

When’s the last time there was a widespread White Halloween, if there’s been one?

 

[Weather-history]

 TheOgre

Halloween 1934 was the most wintriest of the 20th century 

 

[sundog]

Like cold dry weather for Halloween.  So Halloween 1988 fitted the bill perfectly which was followed by a cold November but unfortunately a mild winter.

[Harry233]

Halloween 2014 was insanely mild. It reached nearly 19.C here. It was quite a wet day though but it was unbelievably humid and warm. Felt like it could’ve easily been a wet day in the summer.

2018 and 2019 I agree we’re also great Halloween’s. Both years here had a hard frost and low maxima.

[Harry233]

 TheOgre I think 2008 had a bit of snow just before Halloween, here I think it was just cold and cloudy.

[damianslaw]

Far too many very mild frost less Halloweens from memory. 1988 was a cold one. 2019 also cold.

Late October seems to be more often very mild than cold, same as Bonfire Night. 

[Billy Hicks]

2014 really is the only one I have a specific memory of due to that incredible heat, it was a pleasant day in London and I took some vaguely artistic photos in the Tesco Express at Wembley of the sun shining through various Halloween costumes for sale. I remember having lunch outside not quite believing it would be Christmas in a few weeks, on the whole that autumn was really lovely and sunny.

I have an old camcorder tape of childhood me and my family on Halloween 1997, which I seem to remember was a chilly evening but it's so long ago I can't remember for sure.

[Thundery wintry showers]

I think of a foggy evening as the most festive and fitting weather type for Halloween. Probably ideally a sunny day with a bit of high cloud, a few mist patches and then the fog setting in after dark. I've had a few of them over the years but can't remember which years - I don't have as good a memory for fog as for snow, thunderstorms or notable temperatures. This year's could well turn out to be an example, with the forecast models suggesting high pressure and potential for temperature inversions and fog overnight, although it could end up with a stratocumulus layer and anticyclonic gloom.

As others have mentioned 31 October 2014 was exceptionally warm.

As Weather-history noted, 31 October 1934 was the coldest and wintriest Halloween of the 20th century. 1974 came close, when wintry showers fell widely on the 29th and 30th October and maxima of around 4C were widespread on the 30th. In recent times we have had some near approaches with sleet and snow falling quite widely on 28 October 2008, 26-27 October 2012 and 27 October 2018, but in all three cases it was not quite as cold by the 31st.

Edited October 23 by Thundery wintry showers

[TheCrowman]

 Harry233 Yes I remember 2014 Halloween well as I working outside, it was T shirt weather, in East Anglia it was quite a sunny day and felt more like a summers day.

 

Going back to my childhood I seem to remember more colder Halloweens and bonfire nights.

[Harry233]

 TheCrowman we had heavy rain for most of the day from memory but even for the end of October couldn’t believe just how mild it was here. I can’t recall it ever feeling as mild as it did that late on in the year. It genuinely felt like a summers day 

[Cirrusly Snowy]

The only one I can remember really is 2008 as we still had snow in places which I thought was really strange. It was also my last trick or treating (I was 15 but in my defence I was looking after my friend's little sisters). 

[Metwatch]

I can't be the only who doesn't really remember what the weather was like during any halloweens. It's just like any ordinary day to me and the weather is usually a borefest. If there's no notable weather/events I won't remember specific dates. I think 2021 had some torrential rainfall and 2022 started off sunny before turning dull around sunset looking through my gallery. 2014 would be my favourite given how warm it was but have no memory of it.

[TheCrowman]

 Harry233 yes I know, warmest halloween I've known. 

[SunChaserWales]

Currently in Plymouth with family and it looks like we're going to have clear blue skies on Halloween with a good chance of 18c, possibly scraping 19c or 20c, with Halloween 2014 having given us 19.1c but with less in the way of sunshine. I could see this year's being one of my all time favourites, not so sure about the rest of the country as it seems like there will be a lot of cloud for most

[TheOgre]

 Cirrusly Snowy I was 16 at my last trick or treat

 Metwatch Same here really even though I like Halloween. As you mentioned and I in my OP, this time of year is usually a borefest imo and this Thursday looks no different. I doubt I’ll remember it in years to come.

Edited October 29 by TheOgre

[Summer8906]

Halloween is usually rather unsettled and often rains, though it's generally mild. This year was the first dry Halloween since 2017, if I remember right.

Sunny Halloweens are a rarity. One I remember from my younger days was the very sunny Halloween of 1988, at the start of a long frosty and sunny spell which lasted almost to December. For some reason I can't recall we got an extra half term day that year (half term starting on the 24th) meaning I could make the most of it.

Other more recent examples were 2001 and 2006, also very sunny and in both years the first 10 days of November were unseasonably sunny.

Then there was 2008 when it was sunny and unseasonably cold.

So between one of those, I suspect.

On 24/10/2024 at 13:25, Metwatch said:

2022 started off sunny before turning dull around sunset looking through my gallery.

2022 had a major wind storm after dark, I remember that. Don't remember the name, I always called it the "Halloween Storm" but since it arrived from the SW I believe the South Western Group named it.

Edited November 4 by Summer8906

[Summer8906]

 TheOgre 11 for me was the last one, in 198x. The first one though was just two years earlier, so I only did it for three years.

I do remember wanting to do it when I was 12, but I think I was told I had to do homework instead.

Worse than Halloween though for weather are New Year's Eve and Day, which have probably the worst weather record of all for "notable days". The chance of mild and dull weather with significant rain at some point in the 24 hours seems to be around 75% for each day. Last time we had something different to that was 2020/21.

Edited November 4 by Summer8906