'Large' Storm To Arrive In PA On Halloween, Forecasters Say

PENNSYLVANIA — This is not a trick, and certainly not a treat: A "large storm system" is headed our way and will reach the Philadelphia region squarely on Halloween, just in time for trick-or-treating, multiple forecasters are now saying.

The low-pressure system is expected to develop in the mid-South early on Halloween before moving northeastward toward the Great Lakes into Halloween night, The Weather Channel said.

The system is expected to bring heavy rain and thunderstorms to the Philadelphia region, and could drop snow on the Great Lakes.

The Weather Channel on Tuesday morning said it's still possible the grim forecast could change, if the storm track shifts west or east. As of now, though, forecasters are predicting showers and thunderstorms Halloween night all the way from the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.

According to the National Weather Service, nearly an inch of rain could fall on Halloween night. The conditions will follow several days of unsettled and wet weather. Rain is in the forecast daily through Friday, the Weather Service predicts.

So what does this all mean for trick or treaters?

Likely umbrellas.

Most towns in the Philadelphia region do not regulate trick-or-treat times or days, so a decision to reschedule the activity would likely be made on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis.

Here is the forecast:

Today: Patchy drizzle with a slight chance of light rain. Cloudy, with a high near 63. East wind 3 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tonight: Patchy drizzle with a slight chance of light rain, mainly before 9 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 53. Light north wind. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Wednesday: A slight chance of drizzle or light rain before 9 a.m., then a chance of drizzle with a slight chance of showers between 9am and 3pm, then a chance of showers after 3 p.m. Areas of fog before 9 a.m. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high near 68. Light and variable wind. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Wednesday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 9 p.m. Cloudy, with a low around 58. Light southeast wind. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Thursday: Showers likely before 9 a.m., then rain likely after 9am. Cloudy, with a high near 70. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: Rain likely, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm after 9 p.m. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Friday: Rain before 9 a.m., then a chance of showers between 9 a.m. and noon. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 58. Chance of precipitation is 100%.