You’ll hear plenty of kids shouting “boo” as Milwaukee gets in the Halloween spirit this week, but you also might be saying “brrr” as gusty winds and rain chances pick up.
Many suburban communities hold their trick-or-treating on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 26, and it should remain sunny and dry with a high of 57 degrees.
From there, the weather gets a little dicey.
Rain chances start Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 28, and last through Saturday, Nov. 1. Milwaukee is on the edge of a precipitation system moving through the country.
“We think a lot of the rain is going to miss Milwaukee to the west and south, but we’re not entirely sure,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Gehring.
“That’s why we’re saying 20-30% chance of rain right now,” he added.
Breezy conditions will last through most of the week. Most of those winds will come from the east and southeast, up to 10 or 15 miles per hour.
Those winds coming off the lake won’t be frigid, because Lake Michigan’s water is still fairly warm, Gehring said.
“It’s still not going to feel great,” he said.
What’s the weather going to be like on Halloween?
Friday, Oct. 31 is expected to have the lowest high temperature of the week, hitting 52 degrees during the daytime and dropping down to 38 degrees at night.
“If you have trick-or-treating during the day, it’ll be low 50s. In the evening, it would drop into the upper 40s,” Gehring said. “But it’s going to be a bit windy.”
There’s also a 20% chance for rain showers, according to the current NWS forecast, though that could change.
“We have these small chances of rain, really the whole time, but it could easily just be dry,” he said.
What were the warmest, coldest Halloweens in Milwaukee?
The warmest Halloween on record in Milwaukee was in 1950, when the high hit 80 degrees. The coldest was recorded in 1917 at 20 degrees, according to NWS records.
The average high on Halloween in Milwaukee is 53 degrees, so 2025 should be right on par. The average low is 39 degrees.
How often does it snow on Halloween in Milwaukee?
While you might remember it differently, snow on Halloween is fairly rare.
There have only been five years, going back to 1893, when Milwaukee had measurable snow for Halloween. Only 12 years have had any snow, including trace amounts.
The record snowfall on Halloween took place in 2019, when 5.4 inches blanketed Milwaukee and 4 inches covered Madison. Relive those photos here.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What will the weather be like for trick-or-treating around Milwaukee? Here’s what NWS says
Reporting by Hope Karnopp, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
