What you need to know on Halloween: weather, safety & trick-or-treating

The weather is threatening to put a damper on Halloween, especially during trick-or-treating time.

In Toronto, it will be cloudy with periods of rain and a high of 8 C on Friday. The rain continues into the evening with a low of 1 C.

680News meteorologist Jill Taylor said there could be some breaks in the rain during trick-or-treating, but the wind will become gusty.

However, parts of the GTA could see wet snow late this evening. Taylor said areas north and east of Toronto, including Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Markham, and Brooklin could receive a slushy accumulation by Saturday morning.

Last year, it was a mild but wet Halloween in the GTA, with the temperatures reaching around 17 C.

There has been no measurable snow on Halloween in the past years, but the GTA has received flurries.

For those with children and wondering what Toronto neighbourhoods offer the best trick-or-treating, the Mowat Centre, a public policy organization located at the University of Toronto, analyzed over 140 different neighbourhoods and ranked the best areas. They include:

• Lawrence Park North
• Lambton Baby Point
• Leaside-Bennington
• Mount Pleasant East
• Danforth East York

The centre’s trick-or-treat index took into account the density of houses, walkability, crime rate and population of children under 14. Click here for the full list.

 

Click on the red neighbourhoods in the below interactive map to view the 10 best trick or treating neighbourhoods in Toronto; data courtesy of Mowat Centre. Mobile viewers click here.

 

While children and their parents will be heading out trick-or-treating, they won’t be the only ones celebrating the day. The annual Church Street Halloween Festival takes place this evening.

Church will be closed from Gloucester to Alexander streets from 6:30 p.m. on Friday to 3 a.m. on Saturday. Lane closures will also be in effect on Wellesley near Church.

Meanwhile, as parents get their children ready for Halloween, police and paramedics have issue safety tips to ensure everyone has a safe Halloween.

Halloween safety tips

Safety tips provided by Toronto Paramedic Services and Toronto Police Servicc

• Opt for facial makeup instead of a mask, as the latter can make it difficult for a child to see tripping hazards and traffic
• Turn on your home’s porch light and clear the walkways of clutter
• Children should only trick-or-treat at homes and neighbors they know and only houses with the lights on
• Tell children not to enter anyone’s homes
• Carry a flashlight so it is easily available to use if needed
• Attach reflective tape to your child’s costume, and ensure they are dressed in varied colours
• Ensure your child dresses in layers for rainy and chilly weather, and keep a hat and pair of mitts/gloves in your child’s treat bag
• Supervise small children when crossing the road, and remind children to always stop and look both ways before crossing
• Ensure children know they have to wait for cars to come to a complete stop before crossing the street at a crosswalk or a traffic light
• Drivers are reminded to pay extra attention on the roads as children may be over-excited and run across
• Plan a meeting spot in case friends or family members who are out together become separated
• Throw away candy that may be a choking hazard for small children, or may cause an allergic reaction, or that is unwrapped
• Supervise pets when you open the door, as they may get overexcited with trick-or-treaters coming to the door
• Children should avoid petting friendly neighborhood dogs who may not recognize them in costumes