Trick or treat? Several cities on East Coast could see record heat on Halloween

This is no trick -- several cities on the East Coast could see their warmest Halloween on record.

Unseasonably warm air heading East next week could make for a hotter-than-average Halloween in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Raleigh-Durham. Highs in those locations are forecast to be at least 15 to 20 degrees above average.

For example, New York City is forecasted to hit a high of 82 next Thursday; Boston is expected to hit 77 and Philadelphia 82. Those temperatures are more typical of early September than late October.  Normal average highs there are 59, 57 and 62, respectively.

Areas across the Southwest U.S., including parts of Arizona and Texas, the Gulf Coast and the Deep South are already seeing record warmth for this time of year, with daytime highs Saturday reaching the upper 80s and even a few 90s.

On Sunday and Monday, the bottom half of the U.S., stretching from Tucson, Wichita, Dallas, Little Rock up into Memphis could see record highs.

Early next week, parts of the Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis could break heat records for this time of year, with high temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s.

Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected across the Midwest to all the way to the East through next week. On the flip side, Western states and the Rockies will see a cool-down, with temperatures likely at or below normal levels for this time of year.

Along with the uncommon warmth, much of the U.S. is abnormally dry, with widespread drought conditions reported across a huge part of the country. Only eight states in the lower 48 are currently not experiencing moderate or more severe drought conditions, according to the most recent report from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

And many states along the East Coast may not see any rain through the end of the month.

It's been nearly a month since the last time Philadelphia saw recorded rainfall, which was about a tenth of an inch on Sept. 28.

New York City is on pace to potentially have its driest month ever.

So far this month, Central Park has recorded no measurable rain this month. If it holds -- as there is currently no rain forecast in New York City in the next five to seven days -- it would be the first time since records began in 1869 that Central Park has recorded no measurable rainfall.

Earlier this month, a series of record-breaking heat waves blanketed much of the western U.S. with highs reaching 117 degrees Fahrenheit in Palm Springs and 113 in Phoenix.