Chilly temps and rain may put damper on Iowa trick-or-treaters - Radio Iowa

by Matt Kelley | Oct 28, 2024

Most kids hate to go trick-or-treating while having to wear a winter coat that covers up their spooky costume, but that might be necessary in parts of Iowa this week.

Meteorologist Brooke Hagenhoff, at the National Weather Service, says the forecast for Halloween night calls for lows in the 30s in central and southern Iowa, and the upper 20s in northern Iowa.

“The good news is, those coldest temperatures won’t occur until very, very late, in most cases, after midnight on Thursday night,” Hagenhoff says, “but for prime trick-or-treating, kind of in that 6 to 8 PM time range, we’re looking at temperatures, just after sunset, should be dropping into the mid to low 40s.”

Some areas of northern Iowa may be in the upper 30s during trick-or-treat time, meaning kids will need to wear warmer costumes or layer well under their outfits. Des Moines and a few other Iowa communities will hold trick-or-treating on Wednesday night, and while it’ll be cold, rain is also possible.

“There is a chance for some severe storms as well with these storms as they move through, so not just rain, but also lightning,” Hagenhoff says. “We want to make sure people are not just worried about getting wet, but also staying safe. Lightning can certainly be dangerous as we try to walk around getting that candy, so keep a close eye on the forecast for that.”

In many areas of the state, it’s been a glorious fall, with the leaves changing to stunning golds, yellows, oranges and reds. If you’re a leaf watcher, you might need to snap a few pictures right away, as those colorful leaves may soon be gone with the wind.

“We’re looking at today, wind gusts over 35 miles per hour possible, and then Tuesday, our warmest day is also our breeziest day, and we’re looking at wind gusts that could top 45 miles per hour in most places across the state,” Hagenhoff says, “so we’re going to be blowing a lot of leaves out of the trees.”

High temps today and tomorrow are forecast in the 70s and 80s, but a cold front is forecast to arrive with the rain on Wednesday, knocking highs by Thursday into the 40s and 50s.