Halloween stays dry, but it will be NJ’s coolest day of the week

The Bottom Line

Thursday is the 14th anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, one of the worst weather disasters to ever strike New Jersey. And proof that late October *can* be a volatile and even violent time of year for our atmosphere. Here in 2026, however, our forecast remains completely uneventful other than some temperature swings and occasional bursts of wind and clouds — keeping things quiet and relatively pleasant for both Halloween and Election Day.

A mini warming trend will kick in Thursday, pushing high temperatures toward 70 degrees by Friday. A cold front arriving Friday afternoon will be dry, but will knock back temperatures again for Halloween on Saturday. Highs in the 50s will be on the cool side, but the day will be calm and dry. Sunday and next week should settle into the seasonable 60s to begin November. We had been watching a chance of showers early next week that has all but fizzled out. So now our next chance of substantial rain is once again a week away, set to arrive around next Thursday-Friday. Until then, yet again, it’s smooth sailing.

Weather Hazards

Still nothing.

Climatological Context

October 29 is the 302nd day of 2026.

Normal high temperatures range from 61 to 63 degrees, while normal low temperatures range from 41 to 44 degrees.

October is, on average, New Jersey’s sixth warmest, sixth wettest, and seventh snowiest month of the year.

Thursday

Thursday starts with a chill in the air and some fog in spots.

Temperatures are mainly in the 40s Thursday morning. And there is just enough moisture in the air for patches of fog and low stratus clouds, especially across southern and coastal New Jersey.

Visibility could be poor in spots through about 9 a.m., so use a little extra caution on the morning drive.

After that, this will be a trouble-free weather day as skies clear and temperatures start to warm up again.

Sunshine should break through by late morning, setting up a very nice afternoon. Expect a fresh breeze, dry weather, and highs in the upper 60s — that is about 5 to 10 degrees warmer than Wednesday and comfortably above normal for late October.

Thursday’s calm forecast stands in especially stark contrast to October 29, 2012, when Superstorm Sandy brought catastrophic storm surge, destructive winds, and tragic loss of life to New Jersey. It remains a powerful reminder that this time of year is capable of producing extraordinarily volatile weather.

Fourteen years later, thankfully, the forecast and New Jersey's atmosphere could hardly be quieter.

Thursday night will stay fairly mild, with a few clouds overhead, and low temperatures mainly in the 50s.

Friday

Friday will bring one more day on the warm side.

“Warm” is relative, of course. A high temperature around 70 degrees would be nothing special in July and record-breaking in January. In late October, especially under bright sunshine, I absolutely think it qualifies as "warm."

Expect mostly sunny skies and highs around that magical 70-degree mark, with some spots potentially nudging a little higher.

Friday will also turn quite breezy as a cold front approaches. But there is an important detail here: This frontal passage looks completely dry.

The front will sweep through, kick up some wind, and open the door to cooler air for Halloween.

Halloween (Saturday)

The Halloween forecast has nudged a little cooler. But let's not bury the headline: The entire day will be dry.

Expect sunshine to gradually give way to more clouds Saturday, with high temperatures only reaching the upper 50s.

That may be cool enough to put an autumn chill down your spine. You might probably want an extra layer underneath or on top of the costume, especially once the sun goes down and temperatures start falling. Otherwise, there is no significant wind, rain, or other weather problem here.

Sunday & Beyond

Wow, November already?!

The month begins with another perfectly respectable fall day. Sunday will be partly sunny and seasonable, with highs in the lower 60s.

We had been watching a potential round of showers early next week. But that signal has largely disappeared from long-range models, aside from a quick shower or sprinkle Monday night.

Election Day is looking calm and problem-free from this distance.

New Jersey’s next opportunity for substantial rain — meaning something more than stray raindrops — is now about a week away, potentially arriving next Thursday into Friday.

That means this remarkable dry stretch keeps growing. This could ultimately become an 18- or 19-day streak of rain-free, pleasant fall weather for New Jersey. Quite impressive, especially given how active and busy summer and early fall were.

Dan Zarrow is Chief Meteorologist for Townsquare Media New Jersey. Follow him on Facebook for the latest forecast and realtime weather updates.