Keep those parka-accommodating costume modifications in storage this year — it could be a record-hot Halloween in and around Ottawa.
Daily heat records are in play Thursday for communities ranging from Trenton through Ottawa-Gatineau to Maniwaki.
Ottawa’s forecast high of 23 C is 1.5 degrees above the record from 1989 and 15 degrees above what was the normal Oct. 31 high from 1981 to 2010, according to Environment Canada.
The forecasted high in Los Angeles Thursday is also about 23 C, according to the National Weather Service around 8 a.m. It was 25 C in Dallas and 27 C in Miami.
Humidity could make it feel like 25 at its hottest in the capital and showers are expected in the evening, which could affect trick-or-treat timing.
Several communities set Oct. 30 heat records on Wednesday, including Ottawa at 22 C according to its hourly data and Kingston at 20.6 C.
Ottawa continues to be warmer than normal on a monthly basis: with October a sure thing to join that list, 10 of the last 12 months have been warmer than average. August hit the average on the head and November 2023 was cooler.
Part of the consequences of humans burning greenhouse gases for many decades is intensifying climate change, including rising temperatures and extreme weather.
Ottawa is expected to cool off Friday and Saturday before settling around average for the first full week of November.