Updated: Natl Weather Weighs in: Will a Halloween Hurricane Strike South Orange?

Updated: On Thursday morning, the National Weather Service reports "increasing confidence" that the area will feel the impact of a "major" storm late Sunday night into early next week. Sandy could make landfall "along the East Coast anywhere from the mid-Atlantic to Nova Scotia."  Further out in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Tony is expected to weaken today.

Will she or won't she? If Hurricane Sandy hits the East Coast, she could wash out trick-or-treating and other festivities, just as an ice storm closed schools and changed plans in 2012.

The National Weather Service is warning of "the potential for a major coastal storm with heavy rainfall, high winds, coastal flooding."  However, the agency says that it's too soon to predict the full impact.

Meteorologist Steven DiMartino of NYNJPAWeather.Com is willing to make a prediction and it's not favorable for Halloween festivities. A high pressure system that will give South Orange pleasant weather through the weekend will "trap" water vapor and create "a significant block" over the Northeast. 

Hurricane Sandy, he notes, is "starting to set up" for a hit along the coast by Sunday, Monday and into Tuesday.  It could be "a dangerous situation" says DiMartino.

What will this mean for Halloween? It could be more trick that treat in South Orange. Stay tuned!

Wondering how to prepare for a storm? Kim Collins shows locals her emergency kit.