HALLOWEEN

HALLOWEEN IS OBSERVED ON OCTOBER 31ST. IT IS THE EVE OF ALL SAINTS DAY, FORMERLY CALLED ALL HALLOWS OR HALLOWMASS. HALLOWEEN IS TRADITIONALLY ASSOCIATED IN SOME COUNTRIES WITH OLD CUSTOMS SUCH AS BONFIRES, MASQUERADING, AND TELLING OF GHOST STORES--ALL OLD CELTIC PRACTICES THAT MARK THE BEGINNING OF WINTER.

THE HIGHEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED IN BUFFALO ON HALLOWEEN WAS IN 1971 WHEN PARTLY SUNNY SKIES WERE ACCOMPANIED BY A HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 73 DEGREES. THE COLDEST TEMPERATURE EVER RECORDED ON HALLOWEEN WAS A LOW OF 22 DEGREES IN 1975. NORMALLY, THE HIGH TEMPERATURE AVERAGES ABOUT 55 DEGREES WHILE THE LOW AVERAGES 40 DEGREES.

THERE IS ROUGHLY A 55 PERCENT CHANCE OF HAVING PRECIPITATION OF A TRACE OR MORE. IN 1942, RAIN THAT BEGAN DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS DROPPED 0.78 INCHES ON BUFFALO...THE MOST PRECIPITATION EVER RECORDED ON THIS DATE. IT HAS SNOWED ON 12 OF THE PAST HALLOWEEN DAYS WITH THE MOST BEING IN 1917 WHEN HEAVY SNOW BEGAN ABOUT 4PM AND BY MIDNIGHT 6.0 INCHES WERE ON THE GROUND. THE MOIST SNOW CLUNG TO TREES AND OTHER EXPOSED OBJECTS GIVING THEM THE APPEARANCE OF MID-WINTER.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT WEATHER EVENTS OCCURRED ON HALLOWEEN IN 1874, 1954, AND 1993:

IN 1874, WATERSPOUTS WERE REPORTED ALONG THE DOCKS OF LAKE ERIE AT THIS END OF THE LAKE.

IN 1954, ALTHOUGH ONLY ONE INCH OF SNOW WAS RECORDED AT THE BUFFALO AIRPORT, UP TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW FELL OVER PORTIONS OF CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY.

IN 1993, MOTHER NATURE PLAYED A TRICK ON HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREATERS. A MIX OF RAIN AND WET SNOW FELL THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AS THE SUN SET AND THE TEMPERATURE DROPPED, THE SNOW BEGAN TO STICK DURING THE EVENING. A TOTAL OF 2.8 INCHES WAS RECORDED AT THE BUFFALO AIRPORT. THE MOST IN 76 YEARS. HOWEVER, BETWEEN SIX AND TWELVE INCHES FELL OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS SOUTH OF BUFFALO.

HALLOWEEN : PERIOD OF RECORD 119 YEARS : 1890-2008

WEATHER FOR THE PAST TEN HALLOWEENS

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