Halloween Heat Wave?: Near Record Highs Expected For Trick-Or-Treaters Across RI

RHODE ISLAND — It looks like things will be heating up again across Rhode Island just in time for Halloween trick-or-treating.

Children who go on the annual candy campaign across the neighborhood on the holiday will be able to ditch the jackets and show off their costumes this year, with the long-range forecast calling for much of southern New England to challenge record-high temperatures.

The warm weather should hold through the early evening hours when most trick-or-treating is done.

The record high temperature for Providence on Oct. 31 is 83 degrees, with forecast highs on Thursday in the upper 70s — with 80 or higher a possibility.

It will be much more seasonable over the next few days, with clouds turning to sunshine on Saturday and a high of 65 degrees before a cold snap settles in for the start of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

Sunday will feature a high temperature of 55 degrees with a brisk northwest wind averaging 9 to 11 mph. Monday will be another chilly one with a high of 53 before the warm-up begins on Tuesday.

Tuesday is forecast to have a high back to normal about 61 degrees, with Wednesday's highs soaring to about 71.

The exceptional stretch of weather and increasing winds — next week's near-record highs will bring southwest winds of 20 mph or higher — has triggered the NWS to issue an Elevated Fire Risk for most of Rhode Island.

"The combination of recent dry weather, very dry fuels and relative humidity between 30 and 45 percent makes conditions favorable for wildfire spread today," the NWS said on Friday. "Use caution when handling and disposing of ignition sources."

There are also growing drought concerns, with only a handful of rainy days in the past two months.

Most of Rhode Island is now considered in the "abnormally dry" drought stage.

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