An eerie fog before the Halloween storm

Front page of Daily Hampshire Gazette, 10/31/2011

It may have first hit on October 29, 2011, but the "snow-tober" storm of two years ago was far from resolved by Halloween of that year. This was the front page of the Daily Hampshire Gazette on Halloween 2011. Ask any local resident about that time, and you will hear some amazing tales. Trick or treating was postponed in Amherst, power was out for many of us (some of us would not have it restored for days yet), and roads throughout town were still impassable due to fallen trees and branches. Nothing like that this year, fortunately.

But apparently we cannot have Halloween without some kind of storm descending upon us, though this one won't approach what we've experienced the past two years. Still, at this moment an eerie Halloween-appropriate fog has descended over the valley, ahead of a storm that will be bringing us high winds and rain overnight tonight and into Friday. Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island are likely to get damaging winds, rain and possibly flooding. In fact, a high wind watch is now in effect from late tonight through Friday afternoon for Barnstable, Bristol, Plymouth, Norfolk and Suffolk Counties of Massachusetts for sustained winds of 20-35 MPH with wind gusts of 50-60 MPH. Our own area is likely to see wind advisory conditions.

This storm system, which is tracking through the Great Lakes and Southeast Canada, will bring much warmer temperatures for a period of time along with the high winds and brief period of heavy rainfall. As some trees still have a fair number of leaves on them (that was a problem in 2011 as well), this could cause isolated to scattered pockets of tree and wire damage and power outages. Flooding will be compounded by leaf clogged drains.

For now, I intend to take a walk in the fog. Enjoy your Halloween festivities - and stay safe out there tonight.