4th of July fireworks weather: Will fog spoil the show?

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Will the fireworks be visible over the Bay, or will “Karl the Fog” spoil the show? That’s the question on many Bay Area residents’ minds ahead of Friday night’s Fourth of July fireworks.

So, what kind of weather can we expect for the Fourth of July?

Looking ahead to the holiday weekend, the National Weather Service says that temperatures are expected to remain cooler than usual ahead of a warming trend forecast for next week. As breezes increase Thursday afternoon into evening, weather officials are reminding people to keep an eye on fire danger.

But, according to KRON4 Meteorologist Kyla Grogan, winds should die down Friday heading into the weekend.

“Thursday was a cooler day as a system passes to our north increasing the wind gradient here in the Bay Area and elevating our fire danger,” said Grogan. “Thankfully, that wind should abate somewhat as we move into our Fourth of July holiday on Friday.” 

But will the weather be clear for fireworks viewing Friday? According to Grogan, things are looking good.

“The big question is, will the marine layer give us a break for our fireworks Friday night?” asked Grogan. “The models at the moment are leaning towards yes. Once the front tracks through Thursday, we will see our marine layer build back in for tonight and Friday morning, but by Friday afternoon, the clouds associated with that system will have passed up by opening up some nice clearing for Friday afternoon.” 

“That puts one issue at rest, and it sets us up to only have the concern of the marine layer acting as a spoiler.  At the moment models are trending towards a later arrival for the marine layer so I’m feeling optimistic about our chances for a great show.” 

However, there are no guarantees when it comes to Bay Area weather. But while anything is possible, Grogan say she’s optimistic.

“Having said that, the marine layer will absolutely be lurking along the coast line and should we get a stronger onshore flow than anticipated, there is always the chance that it wanders through the Golden Gate Bridge a touch early. So, on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a perfect fireworks forecast, I’m giving this an 8. Fingers crossed!” said Grogan.

You can catch all the best Bay Area fireworks action from the comfort of your own couch Friday night. Just tune into KRON4’s Fourth of July fireworks special hosted by Dan Thorn and Noelle Bellow.

Catch the action on KRON4 at 9 p.m., watch online at KRON4.com, or stream on the KRON4+ app.