Halloween weekend is bringing tricks instead of treats across the Southwest. The National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center upgraded the excessive-rainfall risk to moderate — level 3 of 4 — for the Four Corners region on Sunday, November 1, and warned that Saturday’s Halloween rain could turn dangerous in the deserts and mountains of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico.
Flood watches are in effect through Monday morning for southern Utah, southwestern Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, and flood warnings were already active in parts of Arizona on Saturday morning — including the Surprise area northwest of Phoenix. Scattered flash flooding is expected over central Arizona today, with rainfall rates increasing Sunday: up to 5 inches of rain is possible in central Arizona over the next 72 hours, and more than 3 inches in the San Juan mountains.
The WPC’s blunt Halloween message: “much of this region is highly susceptible to rainfall,” and during the closing hours of Halloween, the pattern is “all tricks and no treats.” Total atmospheric moisture is running two to three times the October average — near record levels for Halloween weekend — as a pineapple-express atmospheric river feeds in from near Hawaii, supercharged by the strong El Niño of 2026–27.
Farther west, Halloween is making unwanted history. Southern California is facing its first rainy Halloween since the 1980s, though most major metros are expected to see less than an inch of rain, according to AccuWeather’s Alex Sosnowski. In the Phoenix area, forecasters expect the rain to hold off until very late on Halloween — after the trick-or-treaters are home.
If you are in the watch areas, the advice is classic and urgent: never drive through flooded roads, and watch the sky long after the rain stops — desert flash floods can arrive hours after the heaviest rain.
Read also: Southwest severe storms bring flash-flood risk October 25 and Snow and thunderstorms hit 16 states on October 26
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.