By Rebecca Billman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

If spooky Halloween decorations and costumes don't give trick-or-treaters a chill tonight, the weather surely will. The forecast is for cold and cloudy with a high of 46 degrees. An extra layer of clothes under the costume might help as revelers go door-to-door looking for candy.

Official hours for trick-or-treaters are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Cincinnati and communities throughout the Tristate, with some exceptions. The children get an earlier start at 5:30 p.m. in Middletown, Oxford, Cold Spring, Lebanon and Trenton, but times vary neighborhood by neighborhood.

No matter what the time, children and parents should think safety, reminds the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Its tips:

Make sure costumes and bags are bright. Add reflective tape that will glow in a car's headlights.

Children should carry flashlights.

Wear costumes, masks, beards and wigs made of flame-resistant fabrics.

Don't let masks, hats and scarves obstruct vision.

Accessories such as swords or knives should be made of soft, flexible material.

Children should not eat any treats before an adult has examined them for evidence of tampering.

Keep candles and jack-o-lanterns away from curtains, decorations and the path of trick-or-treaters.