Halloween is here and the weather looks great

It is the time of year when ghosts, goblins, witches, and superheroes take to the streets of Portage looking for treats. Halloween is here and it's expected to be a busy night.

While Halloween trick-or-treating did continue in a reduced way through the pandemic, this is the first one since 2019 with no major restrictions in place. The weather will cooperate as well. The forecast today calls for a fair amount of sunshine and a high of 14. When most kids are out in the evening between 6 p.m. and 8:30, the temperature should be in the 5 to 8-degree range before it settles into an overnight low of 1. The wind may be gusting a touch but all in all, things couldn't be much better weatherwise. We've seen pretty much all types of weather on this day from calm and warm, rain, heavy snow and extreme cold. In 1991, trick or treaters were battling snow banks and the day started with a record low of -20. That won't be the case this season.

This is all coming off of a weekend where the highs were in the 15 to 18 to degree range. The nice weather will last for a couple of more days as well. November will start with a high of 15 and Wednesday the temperature should peak at 18 before things pull back to normal on Thursday.

Constable Larry Neufeld of the Portage RCMP Detachment says one of the most important keys to being safe during Halloween is being visible. 

"If you're going out, try to dress in bright-coloured clothing. Children are hard to see because they're smaller. If you're wearing a ghoulish dark costume, then maybe put reflective tape on." Neufeld continues, "Another option is glow sticks that you can get from several shops in town. It'll help people see at night, especially when you see people walking on the street." 

He says that being able to be seen is just as important as being seen.  Drivers are reminded to use extra caution this evening and despite the fact things have usually been pretty quiet in Portage when it comes to the tricks over the past decade, RCMP will still be on the look out for anyone people that may be up to no good.

Numerous events were held for families and the adults over the weekend and many reported strong attendance as Halloween returns to what many would consider the norm for the first time in a few years.

One report shows Canadians will spend $1.64 billion this year on Halloween, a 21.5 per cent increase from last year. This makes it the second largest commercial holiday of the year behind Christmas. It's a number much larger than what was spent during COVID-19, but not yet back to pre-pandemic levels. About half of that money is spent on costumes while the other half is candy and decorations.

one of the many adult costumes spotted around the city over the weekend