Looking Back on the Greatest Snowstorms of Halloween's Past

Across the Contiguous U.S., you only have a 2% chance of seeing snow on Halloween. The highest chance exists in Colorado's front range. There is a 48% chance of seeing snow in Breckenridge, Colorado, on Halloween, but there is only a 19% chance in Denver.

Across the Upper Midwest and in New England, chances are nearer 11%. Of course, the highest chance of seeing Halloween snow in the U.S. is in Alaska, where many areas have a 60% chance.

Halloween snowstorms are relatively rare, but some notable ones have occurred. While the weather promises to be cold this year in some areas of the country for Halloween, it's unlikely that the weather will match the conditions trick-or-treaters faced during these storms of the past.

Halloween Blizzard 1972

Often called the Halloween Megastorm, the Halloween Blizzard of 1972 dumped 13.8 inches of snow in Colorado Springs, Colorado, but they were far from alone. Some trick-or-treaters in North Dakota and South Dakota had to cope with up to 30 inches of snow.

While the snow started in many areas a day or two before Halloween, the vast majority of snow fell throughout Halloween Day, interfering with many fall festivities. National Guard troops were employed to rescue some motorists as roads became impassable.

Halloween Snowstorm of 1991

On Halloween morning, a low-pressure system developed over Texas in 1991. The storm moved rapidly north, with snow falling in Southern Iowa on Halloween afternoon. Ice quickly followed the snow, forcing state police to close Interstate 35, and the ice left over 80,000 homes without power.

In South Central and Central Minnesota, 11 counties were declared federal disaster areas because of the number of people without power. Many areas of Southern Minnesota and the region around La Crosse, Wisconsin, saw up to 6 inches of snow. The storm did not leave until November 2, with winds up to 60 miles per hour creating blizzard conditions across most of the Upper Midwest.

Simultaneously, a nor'easter was developing in Southern Canada, with a powerful tropical storm, the remnants of Hurricane Grace, forming in the Atlantic Ocean at the same time that a low-pressure system was being blown south. The combination caused lots of snow and strong winds to blow across New England.

Waves in Boston reached the height of a three-story building. Thirteen people died during the storm, which forecasters called the perfect storm.

Children in many towns were horribly upset because city officials canceled all Halloween plans. In some cases, children had to only wait until the following weekend, but in other communities, they had to wait an entire year to get their candy stash.

Halloween Snow of 1993

A rare October snow hit Cincinnati and the surrounding area on October 30, 1993. It dumped 5.9 inches of snow on the city, with 0.3 inches falling the next day. This marks the snowiest day in Cincinnati since records started being kept in 1893. Making conditions even worse, temperatures only reached 36 degrees on Halloween, which was the coldest Halloween in the city's history to that point.

According to the National Weather Service, the Halloween 1993 storm was the first time it had ever snowed in the city on Halloween.

2011 Halloween Nor'easter

A low-pressure system formed along a cold front on October 29, 2011, in the Carolinas. As it moved north, at least 20 cities set snowfall records. The deepest snow fell in Peru, Massachusetts, where residents saw 32 inches. Winds as high as 60 miles per hour blew across many areas, including Massachusetts, causing white-out conditions.

Over 1.7 million people were left without electricity. It is estimated that the heavy snow knocked down at least 1,000 trees in New York City's Central Park, while even more fell in other areas, including over 2,000 at the New York Botanical Garden. Many communities postponed Halloween festivities as being out on the roads was deemed too dangerous.

Halloween Snow 2019

Multiple storm fronts moved through the upper Midwest on Halloween in 2019. While it only snowed 1.2 inches at Chicago's O'Hare Airport, many areas of Northern Illinois saw up to 5 inches of snow. In Rockford, Illinois, 3.1 inches of snow fell at the airport, helping to make it the second snowiest October in the city's history.

The snow also fell in Wisconsin during this storm, with Madison, Wisconsin, receiving 4 inches and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, receiving 5.4 inches. It was the snowiest Halloween in both cities' histories. Many areas of the country also saw the coldest Halloween ever. In Denver, temperatures dipped to 7 degrees.

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