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It's October 31, and, for the first time in years, people from West Virginia to Maine are being forced to shovel snow from their pathways for trick-or-treaters. A rare autumn nor'easter hit the United States' East Coast Saturday and Sunday, blanketing some parts of the region in feet of snow.

Halloween-lovers are cursing the storm for its unfortunate timing.  The leftover snow and widespread power outages are ruining Halloween plans for children and adults throughout the Northeast. Those with lightweight costumes will have to supplement their outfits with snow pants and promotional fleeces, or be in for a very cold holiday.

Indeed, Halloween will not be the holiday it usually is in many locations. According to the New York Times, officials in Hollis, New Hampshire originally deemed weather conditions too hazardous for trick-or-treating. However, later, they relented, "declaring trick-or-treating merely postponed, until Nov. 5." Halloween festivities were delayed throughout towns and cities in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, as well.

Some are looking at the strange weather as a warning to prepare for the upcoming winter season.  Are you as ready as you should be? If for nothing else, the surprise snowstorm forced residents to dig out their winter giveaways.

Take Peru, Massachusetts, for example; the western Massachusetts town was hammered with 32 inches of the white stuff this weekend. Locals were undoubtedly utilizing their ice scrapers and other winter-weather items as they recovered from the massive storm.

In fact, in some towns and cities, the snow proved too much to handle. According to Reuters, "Across the Northeast, more than 2.2 million customers remained without power on Monday morning." The large amount of snow is testing the resilience of regional train services, power companies, and more.

Fox News reports that "Officials in some states warned that it could be days or even a week before residents have power again, even though crews have been brought in from as far away as Michigan and Canada." Will they be able to get their acts together in time for winter? If the surprise nor'easter has taught us anything, it's to plan for the unexpected.

Hopefully, all will be cleaned up within the next week or so. As temperatures rise, those who are snowed in will be relieved to see the white precipitation melt before their eyes. How is your town or city recouping from the storm? Are you happy with your local government's level of preparedness?