Halloween is lurking around the corner like the murderer in a slasher film (sorry for the jump scare!). The weather can play a big role in what you and your kids decide to wear for trick-or-treating. And this year, El Niño could cast a spell on the forecast for your candy collection.

While El Niño doesn’t guarantee anything (it’s just a climate pattern, after all), it can tilt the forecast odds one direction or the other, and that might mean you need to adjust your costume to accommodate for the weather.

People fall into two camps: Those who’ve been planning their Halloween costume for a full year and might need to make tweak it, and those who’ll just make like a bat and wing it.

But El Niño has a few tricks (and maybe a few treats) up its sleeve.

The Trick: The South trends wetter

El Niño nudges the subtropical jet farther south and turbocharges it, causing wetter than average conditions in the southern tier of the U.S., especially along Gulf Coast states.

(MORE: Super El Niño's potential impact on your weather in October and fall)

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This might mean that your plan to do a last-minute mummy costume using toilet paper could be a very bad idea.

The Treat: The North trends milder

You might not need the fleece-lined tights for your costume this year in the northern tier, because El Niño pushes temperatures above average for the region.

This is good news for anyone who was worried about insulating their costume. Things could get a little toasty if you were planning on an outfit that’s already equipped for cold weather.

The Trouble: El Niño isn’t a guarantee

While El Niño does impact the overall trend of the weather, it doesn’t guarantee the forecast for a specific day. 

Even if October as a whole is wetter than normal for the South, there could still be a sunny pleasant day on Halloween. The North could be mild and comfortable all month long but then a cold front could sweep through at the last minute, bringing blustery winter weather for trick-or-treaters.

Continue checking the forecast until the day arrives so you're not caught off guard.

Ultimately, the best way to make sure your Halloween festivities are a treat is to plan for any trick and be ready to pivot if trouble arises.

Sara Tonks is a content meteorologist with weather.com and has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Georgia Tech in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, along with a master’s degree from Unity Environmental University in Marine Science.