The Albany area could see a record warm Halloween

ALBANY — Trick-or-treaters shouldn’t dress too warmly on Thursday, as a new record will likely be set in the Albany area for the warmest Halloween since statistics have been kept.

The high is expected to reach 79 degrees, with temperatures still in the 70s after the sun goes down.

The temperature surpasses the last record high in Albany on Oct. 31, which occurred in 2019 at 75 degrees — making this year the “warmest Halloween in 150 years,” said Joe Villani, National Weather Service meteorologist.

Villani said that while the record was set not long ago, the warm weather on Halloween five years ago was accompanied by rain and humidity. However, this year’s Halloween will see the high temperatures without rain.

He said temperatures will be in the mid-70s when trick-or-treaters first hit the streets and will later cool into the 60s as the night wears on. There is a chance of rain Thursday evening, but the precipitation likely won’t start until after midnight.

Since September, the region has experienced dry weather with less humidity and rain.

Villani said Albany usually sees 7 inches of rainfall during the fall, but since the start of September, there has been a 4.5 inch rain deficit.

And it’s not just the Capital Region that’s experiencing a warm fall season – it’s the rest of the Northeast as well.

Villani said an unusually strong area of ​​high pressure along the northeast coast is resulting in the region’s higher temperatures.

However, temperatures are expected to cool this Friday, Villani said.