As trick-or-treaters head out in Southern California on Halloween night, this year’s most popular getup could be a raincoat.
Showers are expected to develop in the afternoon or early evening on Saturday, Oct. 31, before intensifying overnight.
It remains uncertain whether the showers will be intermittent or more persistent throughout the evening, with the heaviest rainfall expected late Saturday night into Sunday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Devin Black said.
If measurable rain falls in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, it would mark the city’s first rainy Halloween since 2014, when about a quarter-inch was recorded, according to NWS records.
Across Orange County and the Inland Empire, showers are expected to begin Saturday afternoon, then become more pervasive, according to the weather service.
Orange County could receive more rainfall than the Inland Empire.
“Saturday afternoon, we’re expecting showers transitioning to more widespread rainfall,” National Weather Service meteorologist Sebastian Westerink said of Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The rain is not expected to be particularly intense during the afternoon and early evening, Westerink said.
“For the most part, not a torrential downpour,” he said.
What are the chances?
In Los Angeles County, the weather service estimated a roughly 70% chance of rain across much of its forecast area, with Saturday temperatures reaching only the 60s in coastal and valley communities.
Most areas could receive a quarter- to half-inch of rain during the storm, with up to three-quarters of an inch possible in southeastern Los Angeles County, according to the weather service.
In Orange County, forecasters are predicting a 50% chance of showers Saturday afternoon, with rain becoming more likely Saturday night. High temperatures are expected to reach the upper 60s to lower 70s.
In the Riverside and San Bernardino county valleys, the chance of showers Saturday afternoon is around 20%, with highs ranging from the upper 60s to lower 70s. Rain is expected to become more widespread Saturday night, with locally heavy rainfall possible overnight.
Temperatures will continue cooling through the weekend, with inland areas expected to see highs as much as 10 to 15 degrees below average by Sunday.
The rain is expected to taper off by Sunday evening, with drier and warmer weather returning early next week.