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Americans look forward to the Fourth of July every year, celebrating with good food, great drinks and even better company. But the celebration always culminates in a star-studded firework display in the sky.

But did you know, weather can have a major impact on how your firework display looks?

Fireworks date back to 7th century China, when the Chinese developed an explosive way to celebrate the victories of war. Since then, modern technology has led to elaborate firework displays across the globe every year.

But weather has a crucial role in how the display looks to you. Conditions like rain, lightning, wind and temperature all play a role in how visible or even how bright or dim a firework can be. 

Wind

One of the most important factors in a firework display is the wind. It can significantly affect how the display goes off. Too much or too little wind can determine how visible the show will be to the spectators below.

As fireworks explode, they create smoke. That smoke gets pushed around by the wind. 

Calm winds are not a fireworks friend. During calm wind situations, the firework will explode and the smoke will sit stagnant, limiting the view of the show above. 

Strong winds, on the other hand, can blow smoke or hot embers onto spectators. Wind must always be monitored closely by those lighting fireworks.

Temperature and humidity

Believe it or not, even the temperature and humidity of the air mass can play a role in how a firework show goes off.

Usually air cools as you head up higher in the sky. But sometimes, on rare occasions, the air actually warms – making it warmer aloft rather than at the surface of the earth. This is called an inversion and when this happens, warm air will trap cooler, more dense air closer to the surface.

This trapping, also known as a cap, can trap smoke from the exploding fireworks close to the surface as well. This can reduce visibility, making it difficult for spectators to view the show above.

Humidity also can play a role. When the air becomes humid, there’s a lot more moisture in the air. If the humidity of the air is too high, the colors of the fireworks will dim – becoming less bright as they explode. A drier atmosphere will allow for a brighter, more vivid show.

You may also find trouble in lightning fireworks if the humidity becomes too high. Use caution if you plan on lightning fireworks on a very humid evening.

Rain and lightning

One of the most obvious weather hazards to a firework show is rainfall. Fireworks can be set off in the rain, but they must be located inside a sealed container to be lit. Typically, professional firework shows will have a contingency plan like this in place, in case of rainfall.

Sealed containers will help to limit the amount of rain and moisture hitting the firework. The less amount of rain and moisture the firework sees, the better chance it has of being lit properly.

Remember, if you find a fuse won’t light after being lit, discard the firework completely. Place it in a bucket of water and set aside.

Finally, lightning is considered the most dangerous weather hazard to firework shows. Unlit fireworks that are struck by lightning can become lit and a hazard to those nearby on the ground.

If lightning is within 10 miles of your area, head inside immediately, bringing all fireworks with you.

Whatever you do this Fourth of July, celebrate safely. For more firework safety tips, you can visit the National Safety Council.

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.