Snowtober 2011: Halloween snowstorm hits East Village in New York City (photos)

Halloween is known to get a bit freaky in New York City, where ghosts, ghouls and vampires hop from bar to bar looking for treats. Possibly the only thing we don’t expect to see on Halloween weekend is snow.

A rare storm– given the catchy name of “Snowtober”– dumped over an inch of white powder in Central Park on Saturday. This was only the fourth time in the city’s history that snow fell before Halloween, and the storm left over 2 million people without power from the mid-Atlantic to New England.

In the East Village temperatures dropped to the 30s and fluffy white snowflakes alternated with rain. The Astor Place cube was dusted with snow and Halloween wigs swayed with the wind on St. Marks Place.

>> Scroll down for photos of the East Village during the Snowtober 2011 storm.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Astor Place in East Village

The Astor Place cube was covered in snow on Saturday morning, although the powder melted instantly upon hitting the street.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_St Marks Place umbrella

Downtown Traveler editor Leslie Koch was caught off guard by the freezing temperatures; she longed for her North Face parka as wet snow soaked through her rain jacket.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Gem Spa on St Marks Place

Street vendors on St. Marks Place were in full Halloween mode and continued to hawk their rainbow-colored wigs, sunglasses and pashminas during the snowstorm.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Bike on St Marks Pl

The intersection of St. Marks Place and Avenue A became a minefield of slushy puddles.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_St Marks Place street sign

Noticeably fewer people were walking on St. Marks Place during Saturday’s snowfall, although popular brunch spots like 7A remained crowded.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Tompkins Square Park

As usual, few taxis were available to pick up soaked pedestrians on Saturday, as rain, sleet and snow appear to be instant triggers for their “off duty” signs.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Trash and Vaudeville St Marks Pl

The snow came down hard in front of East Village boutique Trash and Vaudeville, the city’s premier vendor of rubber, vinyl and leather fashions.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Man with umbrella in East Village

A pedestrian struggled to shield himself from the snow outside of Kmart in Astor Place. Mangled umbrellas dotted the sidewalks, victims of the high winds.

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_Astor Place taxi

A taxi darted past the Astor Place Cube, which only recently was covered in crochet by artist Olek. Too bad the artwork was removed– it would have been a nice shield from the snow!

NYC Halloween Snow Storm 2011_East Village Yuca Bar 2

Cars were covered in snow on Saturday for the length of St. Marks Place. By the following day, all of the snow had melted and there was no indication in the East Village that “Snowtober” had ever happened.

Where were you for “Snowtober 2011”?

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About Leslie Koch

I'm a New Yorker with a passion for travel and art. I founded DowntownTraveler.com after returning from a year-long backpacking trip around the world. Find me on Twitter at @leslietravel.