Anyone who’s had the bittersweet experience of sweating through the first pumpkin spice latte of the season likely understands Halloween weather in Los Angeles. It’s a region where, like it or not, your Halloween costume is going to be sexy, because the fewer layers, the better. With August and September being the hottest months of the year in LA, October brings a bit of reprieve, but we still regularly hit highs in the upper-70s°F. We even get the odd echoes of summer, where we’ll have a few October days in the 90s. And though some Halloween nights have been rainy, the chances of significant precipitation in a SoCal October are slim. Needless to say, this mild weather makes Halloween in LA a unique experience.
What to Expect from SoCal’s Halloween Weather
Even if you grew up in Los Angeles, you likely have an idea of how an American autumn is supposed to feel. And that’s largely informed by a specific region of the United States: New England. But you won’t find forests of fiery leaves in Los Angeles. Well, not unless they’re literally on fire. And sidewalks aren’t moistened by seasonal storms but instead by suburban sprinklers. You’ll rarely experience gloomy gloamings. Rather, we enjoy burning, passionate sunsets exploding over the fading arid afternoons. So, we don’t expect traditional Halloween weather in Los Angeles. But we can still feel the season changing in a distinctly Southern Californian way.
Fortunately, the Los Angeles community doesn’t wait for the invitation of traditional fall weather. This is a city that loves Halloween. Walk by area businesses and you’ll find them strewn in strands of faux cobwebs, populated with pumpkins, and with creative window displays often haunted by ghosts and googly-eyed skeletons. Suburban homes are obscured by seasonal lawn cemeteries sprouting plastic ghouls. At night, these same homes radiate an eerie burning glow from cold-colored lights as fog machines belch billowing clouds over the grass. It’s enough of a spectacle that you’ll have little time to miss the chillier Halloween weather of the northeast.
Costumes for Warmer Halloween Weather
We do have a bit of an advantage where costume choices are concerned, because ours don’t need to be constrained and obscured by jackets and sweaters. Sure, there are those Halloween enthusiasts who don’t mind suffering for fashion – or, in this case, sweating for their art. But it’s a choice. That added degree of mobility and lightness contributes to a more revelrous evening that, to tourists, may seem akin to a summer block party – if it weren’t for all the pumpkins.
But dramatic costumes come with their own setbacks. Sweating through greasepaint may be just another day in the office for those working in theatre, but it can be a new flavor of hell for the common man. Those office Halloween parties can reach new, unplanned levels of horror as the afternoon heat sets in! However, Halloween weather in Los Angeles gets more forgiving the later it gets, so at least a cool relief (usually somewhere in the 60s°F) should follow quickly once the sun sets.
Seasonal Fun in Los Angeles
Los Angeles also holds plenty of themed events that lean into the seasonal spookiness, even if the Halloween weather is less-than-traditional. Aside from the slew of haunted houses that liberally pepper the city throughout October, you’ll find attractions like the Haunted Hayride, Night of the Jack, and even Victorian funeral recreations at Heritage Square Museum. The area theme parks get into the spirit with Knott’s Scary Farm, Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash, and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.
LA’s Mexican population also adds an added degree of cultural flavor to the season with their Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festivals, traditionally celebrated every November 1st. For over a quarter of a century, Hollywood Forever Cemetery has been opening its gates for the region’s biggest (and most popular) Día de los Muertos celebration. Colorful sugar skulls, bouquets of marigolds, and some of the most lavish costuming and make-up you’re likely to ever experience grace this holiday, imbuing the first day of November with a respectful memorial for the deceased.
A SoCal Tradition
So, while it may be nice to have some traditional Halloween weather once in a while, Angelenos tend to make a party of the month of October regardless. But would you expect anything less from such a creative and diverse city? After all, when we don’t have access to established traditions, we can sit in disappointment, or we can make some traditions of our own.
With a brand that says as much as JohnHart’s, Senior Copywriter Seth Styles never finds himself at a loss for words. Responsible for maintaining the voice of the company, he spends each day drafting marketing materials, blogs, bios, and agent resources that speak from the company’s collective mind and Hart… errr, heart.
Having spent over a decade in creative roles across a variety of industries, Seth brings with him vast experience in SEO practices, digital marketing, and all manner of professional writing with particular strength in blogging, content creation, and brand building. Gratitude, passion, and sincerity remain core tenets of his unwavering work ethic. The landscape of the industry changes daily, paralleling JohnHart’s efforts to {re}define real estate, but Seth works to maintain the company’s consistent message while offering both agents and clients a new echelon of service.
When not preserving the JohnHart essence in stirring copy, Seth puts his efforts into writing and illustrating an ongoing series entitled The Death of Romance. In addition, he adores spending quality time with his girlfriend and Romeo (his long-haired chihuahua mix), watching ‘70s and ‘80s horror movies, and reading (with a particular penchant for Victorian horror novels and authors Yukio Mishima and Bret Easton Ellis). He also occasionally records music as the vocalist and songwriter for his glam rock band, Peppermint Pumpkin.
