Could 'Melissa' Storm Wreak Halloween Havoc In MA For Trick-Or-Treaters?

MASSACHUSETTS — A tropical storm gathering steam in the Caribbean late this week could make its way up the East Coast and hammer New England with strong winds, heavy rain and erosion just in time for Halloween trick-or-treating, according to potential long-range forecasts from AccuWeather.

The timing and strength of a dip in the jet stream over the eastern U.S. next week will help determine the path that Melissa takes through the Caribbean and into the Atlantic.

"At this time, the odds of direct rain and wind impacts from Melissa reaching the East Coast are low," AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva said. "However, there are scenarios that could bring Melissa closer to South Florida and at the very least, some indirect impacts from Melissa are anticipated, not only in South Florida but well to the north along the Atlantic coast."

The more likely scenario is for Melissa to swivel across the southeastern or central Bahamas with torrential rain and high winds and then into the western Atlantic, AccuWeather said, adding that regardless of how close the storm gets to the U.S., rough surf, beach erosion and coastal flooding issues are anticipated along much of the East coast next week.

"Melissa will be a powerful storm generating huge waves north of Cuba," DaSilva said. "The impacts will be felt at U.S. beaches hundreds of miles away as the storm moves over the western Atlantic. This has been a challenging year for beach erosion along the East coast."

A developing jet stream dip could generate a new storm, or perhaps a potent nor'easter, by Halloween night.

In a couple of worst-case scenarios, AccuWeather forecasts have the jet stream dip capturing
Melissa and pull it in close to the northeastern U.S. coast, or a swath of heavy rain could extend back to the Eastern states as Melissa's moisture becomes tapped.

Before that, it is shaping up as a bright and chilly weekend with highs in the 50s both Saturday and Sunday, according to the National Weather Service.

Next week turns stormy regardless of Melissa's path, with rain and wind likely each day and highs in the 50s and nighttime lows in the 30s.

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