Wicked weather proves tricky, postpones Halloween treats in Westmoreland

While most local municipalities are not spooked by the possibility of rain and wind on Halloween, others are taking a more cautious route and postponing trick-or-treating this year.

The National Weather Service is predicting an almost 100% chance of rain and wind gusts over 30 mph Thursday night. Lee Hendricks, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, said temperatures should remain around 57 degrees for most of the evening.

That, and the possibility of low visibility throughout the evening, has areas such as Irwin, North Irwin and North Huntingdon postponing trick-or-treating until 6-8 p.m. Friday.

“High winds are the concerning issue. You can have trees down; you can have power lines down. … On Halloween night, we have police officers and firefighters, and they go out and patrol during that two-hour window,” said North Huntingdon police Chief Robert Rizzo, adding that those first responders could be pulled from patrols to answer more urgent calls due to the weather.

Chris Caruso, manager of Findlay Township in Allegheny County, also said the biggest factor in postponing trick-or-treating is the expected high winds.

“We can deal with rain. We can deal with snow. … We just thought (high winds) weren’t the best scenario for little kids,” Caruso said. Trick-or-treating in Findlay is now planned for 4-6 p.m. Saturday.

Temperatures on Friday are expected to peak around 45 degrees, Hendricks said, adding that it should be a clear day. The high for Saturday will be around 50 degrees.

“I think Friday, frankly, is probably the best day to do it, but municipalities can really only jump this around so much before everyone starts going crazy,” Hendricks said.

Several people have taken to social media, either asking municipalities to postpone trick-or-treating or criticizing their decision to change the date.

“Kind of 50-50,” said Lisa Gesler, secretary and treasurer for North Irwin when asked what the community reaction has been. “Some are happy, some are upset because they rearranged their work schedules. That’s been the biggest thing … that and (people saying), ‘Well, when I was kid…’”

Still, several municipalities are sticking with their original dates and times.

Jim Morrison, chief administrator for Murrysville, asked: “Is this the first time it’s rained?” He added that officials decided to not change the date, “because Halloween is on Oct. 31.”

In Hempfield, township officials are urging community members to exercise caution throughout the evening but said trick-or-treating will be held on Halloween, as it has been in past years.

Brackenridge and Harrison Township in Allegheny County are still preparing for trick-or-treating, scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Thursday. Barb Jones, office clerk for Brackenridge, added that police and fire department officials will monitor the streets as a public safety measure, as they do every year.

Regardless of weather, the risk of pedestrian deaths — especially for children — is 43% higher on Halloween, according to a report that appeared this year in the medical publication JAMA Pediatrics. Researchers studied 40 years of data, which included 608 deaths over 42 Halloweens, from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously examined childhood pedestrian deaths on Halloween from 1975-96 and found that “the number of deaths among young pedestrians was fourfold higher on Halloween evening when compared with the same time period during all other evenings of the year.”

For those municipalities not changing trick-or-treat dates, Hendricks urged parents, children and drivers to be cautious.

“Just make sure you have a flashlight with you and wear clothing with reflectors so drivers can see them on the side of the roads,” he said. “And, for drivers, be a little more alert.”