Memorable Halloween Storms

Forget the ghosts and goblins. Halloween has had some scary weather over the years. Here are a few of the more memorable events.

by Farmers' Almanac Staff Updated: October 30, 2023

Forget the ghosts and goblins! Halloween has had some scary weather events over the years. Here are a few of the most memorable…

A Halloween Nor’easter

In 2011 a large low-pressure area that produced an early snowfall across the northeast and the Canadian Maritimes. It formed on October 29 to the southeast of the Carolinas. As it moved up the East Coast, its associated snowfall broke records in at least 20 cities for total accumulation just in time for Halloween. Because many trees still had levels on them, and the ground was wet and warm, the heavy snowfall caused trees to be uprooted, and 12 states experienced power outages, from Maine to West Virginia and three Canadian provinces. Many residents of Connecticut were without power for 2 weeks and Halloween Trick or Treating festivities had to be postponed.

A Massive Halloween Snowfall in Minnesota

During the afternoon of October 31, 1991, a major winter snowstorm pounded the eastern half of Minnesota over a three-day period. When it was finished, the storm dropped 28.4 inches of snow on the Twin Cities, setting a single storm record for the metropolitan area. Duluth received 36.9 inches, the largest single storm total in Minnesota history. Guess trick-or-treaters wore their skis to get around!

The Perfect Storm

On October 31, 1991, the “perfect storm” was responsible for the deaths of several Massachusetts-based fisherman and billions of dollars in damage. The nor’easter ravaged the Atlantic Ocean over the course of several days before it destroyed the fishing boat, the Andrea Gail.

How it happened
In October 1991, several rare weather events that would have been far less threatening had they happened individually, coincided at the same time. The result: an exceptionally powerful storm rained down across a very large area. It’s widely believed that if the storm had been more concentrated, it would have resembled a hurricane.

Because the storm occurred without the typical hurricane warnings, smaller vessels at sea were caught off-guard in hurricane-like conditions. The event became the basis for the best-selling novel “The Perfect Storm” by Sebastian Junger.

Solar Storm

Not all storms are from the weather! Check out this epic solar storm of 2003.

Share your scary weather story!

Did it rain, snow, or worse on your trick-or-treating? Snow? Tell us about your Halloween Weather Stories in the comments below.

Farmers' Almanac Staff

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