On the Fourth, 1,667 shows go up across the country. Whether you’ll see yours is a weather question.
Every major U.S. fireworks show gets its own forecast — and its own odds. We ran all 1,667 of them through the Tomorrow.io Fireworks Index, scoring the exact sky each show will launch into: whether the cloud deck sits below where the shells burst, whether there’s wind enough to clear the smoke, whether a storm forces a scrub, and whether it’s truly dark by showtime. As of midday Thursday, 62% of the country draws a “Great” sky. But a national average doesn’t decide your Fourth — your city does. Here are the five lists that do.
How to read this
One score, five gates
The Fireworks Index rates every show 0–100 on five things the weather has to get right: a cloud deck high enough that the bursts clear it, a light breeze to carry the smoke off between volleys, a storm-free launch window, low fallout-fire risk on the ground, and a sky that’s actually dark when the finale goes up. 70 and up is Great; 55–69 Good; 40–54 Compromised; below 40, Rough.
Shows scored1,667Every major U.S. public July 4 show, each at its own location and local start time.
Great skies62%1,035 shows clear all five gates — a strong year, coast to coast.
Fighting the sky259140 Compromised and 119 Rough — the shows this piece is really about.
Great 70–100Good 55–69Compromised 40–54Rough 0–39
List 1
The best skies in America
The cleanest air this year runs from the Rockies to the coast. Colorado’s Front Range tops the country — Lakewood (91) and Denver (89) — with New England right behind in Burlington, Vermont (90) and along the Maine coast, and a string of Gulf and Atlantic beach towns filling out the top ten. Every show here clears all five gates: high cloud, calm wind, clean air, and true dark by showtime.
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1Lakewood, COClears every gate — clear, dark, calm91
The setting
Belmar Shopping District. The Big Belmar Bash draws Denver-metro families for live bands and vendors, capped by a 250-drone light show — the city swapped in drones over traditional fireworks this year. It’s also a July 3rd show, a day ahead of the Fourth.
The conditions
72°F, feels 75° and comfortable, a light 9 mph breeze, and just 5% rain chance — the cleanest sky on the whole board.
See Lakewood’s show on the live map
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2Burlington, VTClears every gate — clear, dark, calm90
The setting
Waterfront Park, Lake Champlain. Vermont’s largest fireworks display, launched over the lake with the Adirondacks as a backdrop, paired with an aerial parade of electric aircraft. Burlington’s Independence Day is traditionally celebrated July 3rd.
The conditions
74°F and muggy at 78% humidity, but a clean 10 mph breeze and clear dusk keep every gate open.
See Burlington’s show on the live map
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3Pensacola Beach, FLClears every gate — clear, dark, calm90
The setting
Pensacola Beach Boardwalk — an annual pyrotechnic show launched over the Gulf-side boardwalk.
The conditions
84°F, feels 90° and muggy, a calm 10 mph wind, and only a 15% rain risk — warm air, but clean.
See Pensacola Beach’s show on the live map
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4Denver, COClears every gate — clear, dark, calm89
The setting
Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos’ stadium, with its open bowl and elevated position on the Front Range, is one of the most visible launch sites in the Denver metro. Denver’s show runs July 3rd.
The conditions
73°F, feels 76° and comfortable, a light 8 mph wind, 5% rain chance.
See Denver’s show on the live map
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5Bar Harbor, MEClears every gate — clear, dark, calm89
The setting
Agamont Park, overlooking Frenchman Bay. A Today Show– and National Geographic–recognized Fourth: morning parade, afternoon entertainment at the Town Pier, fireworks over the bay after dark.
The conditions
68°F, feels 72° and comfortable, a calm 9 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Bar Harbor’s show on the live map
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6Portland, MEClears every gate — clear, dark, calm89
The setting
Eastern Promenade. Fireworks launch from the East End Trail over Casco Bay while the whole Munjoy Hill neighborhood closes to traffic and becomes a pedestrian viewing area.
The conditions
68°F, feels 71°, a 9 mph breeze, 0% rain chance — a clean coastal sky.
See Portland’s show on the live map
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7Las Cruces, NMClears every gate — clear, dark, calm89
The setting
Sisbarro Community Park on the NMSU campus. A headline concert leads into the fireworks — 2025’s show featured a tribute set covering the Bee Gees and Prince.
The conditions
86°F, feels 89°, bone-dry at 22% humidity, 11 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Las Cruces’s show on the live map
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8Myrtle Beach, SCClears every gate — clear, dark, calm89
The setting
Broadway at the Beach, over Lake Broadway — the entertainment complex anchoring the Grand Strand resort area.
The conditions
80°F, feels 87° and muggy, a 9 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Myrtle Beach’s show on the live map
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9Galveston, TXClears every gate — clear, dark, calm89
The setting
Galveston Seawall — the island’s annual pyrotechnic show along the Gulf-facing seawall.
The conditions
84°F, feels a steamy 91°, 11 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Galveston’s show on the live map
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10Meridian, IDClears every gate — clear, dark, calm88
The setting
Storey Park. Food trucks and two live music sets lead into a show launched from the adjacent Meridian Speedway.
The conditions
77°F, feels 83°, dry 23% humidity, a 7 mph wind, 0% rain chance — one of the driest air masses on this list.
See Meridian’s show on the live map
The Fireworks Index · Live map
See all 1,667 shows on the interactive map
Every show scored 0–100 and refreshed hourly. Search your city and see the five gates behind its score.
Explore the map
List 2
Skies that might get skunked
When two-thirds of the country draws a Great sky, the trouble stands out — and it’s clustered. The entire Bay Area fogs out: San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley all score 6, their finales set to vanish into a low marine layer. A second pocket of low cloud and storm risk sits over the Upper Midwest — Madison (2), Chicago’s Gurnee (4), Eau Claire — with scattered storm scrubs from Florida to Nebraska.
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1Madison, WILow cloud will swallow the finale · scrub risk2
The setting
Winnequah Park, near Lake Monona. The Monona Community Festival is one of the largest and longest-running July 4th celebrations in southern Wisconsin, with fireworks launched over the lake.
The conditions
69°F, feels 71° and humid at 83%, with a 30% rain chance. A stubborn low cloud deck sits right at burst height — the show may fire, but the finale disappears into it.
See Madison’s show on the live map
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2Gurnee, ILLow cloud will swallow the finale · scrub risk4
The setting
Six Flags Great America — a hybrid drone-and-pyrotechnic show staged inside the park.
The conditions
70°F, feels 70° and humid at 83%. No rain expected, but a cloud ceiling sitting right where the shells burst is the problem here.
See Gurnee’s show on the live map
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3Berkeley, CAMarine layer — low cloud will swallow the finale6
The setting
Berkeley Marina. A free, alcohol-free all-day celebration with live entertainment and Dragon Boat rides, fireworks off the Berkeley Pier over San Francisco Bay.
The conditions
54°F, feels 54° and cool, 9 mph wind, 0% rain — but the coastal marine layer sits low enough to swallow the entire finale.
See Berkeley’s show on the live map
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4Oakland, CAMarine layer — low cloud will swallow the finale6
The setting
Jack London Square, over the Oakland Estuary. A barge-launched show at the foot of Broadway, with sightlines to both Oakland’s and San Francisco’s fireworks.
The conditions
55°F, feels 55° and cool, 8 mph wind, 0% rain — the same Bay-wide marine layer that’s fogging out the whole region.
See Oakland’s show on the live map
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5San Francisco, CAMarine layer — low cloud will swallow the finale6
The setting
Crissy Field, for a launch directly from the towers of the Golden Gate Bridge — only the third time in the bridge’s nearly 90-year history, marking America’s 250th.
The conditions
55°F, feels 54° and cool, 9 mph wind, 0% rain — the marine layer that defines a San Francisco summer evening sits low enough to hide the show entirely.
See San Francisco’s show on the live map
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6Gainesville, FLStorm risk — may be scrubbed29
The setting
University of Florida campus. “Fanfares and Fireworks” pairs a UF Symphony Orchestra concert with the display. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
80°F, feels 86° and muggy at 81% humidity — the Index flags real storm risk tonight; this one may be scrubbed outright.
See Gainesville’s show on the live map
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7Eau Claire, WISome scrub risk31
The setting
Chippewa River, near Phoenix Park. Fireworks launch from the High Bridge over the river, with the park serving as the premier free viewing area.
The conditions
65°F, feels 66° and humid, a 30% rain chance, 8 mph wind — real scrub risk into showtime.
See Eau Claire’s show on the live map
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8Geneva, ILCloud near burst height · scrub risk31
The setting
Northwestern Medicine Field — a standard annual pyrotechnic show at the ballpark.
The conditions
71°F, feels 73° and muggy, a 25% rain chance — cloud sitting right near burst height on top of the rain risk.
See Geneva’s show on the live map
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9Papillion, NEStorm risk — may be scrubbed32
The setting
Werner Park. The Omaha Storm Chasers’ Freedom Weekend, with fans invited onto the outfield grass for the postgame show. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
72°F, feels 70°, a gusty 17 mph wind, and a 60% rain chance — the highest storm odds of any show on this list.
See Papillion’s show on the live map
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10Clarksville, TNStorm risk — may be scrubbed32
The setting
Liberty Park. A joint city-county Independence Day celebration, expanded to two days for America’s 250th, with fireworks over the Cumberland River. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
79°F, feels 79° and muggy, light 5 mph wind — the Index flags storm risk severe enough tonight that the show may be scrubbed.
See Clarksville’s show on the live map
The Fireworks Index · Updated hourly
Watch the at-risk shows as the forecast shifts
The map re-scores every hour through the 4th — track whether the fog lifts and the storms hold off.
Explore the map
List 3
The hottest shows with the best conditions
Great sky, brutal heat. Every show here clears the Index for good conditions — clear and calm — but you’ll watch it sweating. Phoenix tops out at a feels-like 96°F at showtime, with Texas and the Deep South coast close behind. Ranked by the heat; the badge is what it’ll feel like when the finale goes up.
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1Phoenix, AZGreat sky · Index 8296°
The setting
Steele Indian School Park. “Fabulous Phoenix 4th” is one of the largest free Independence Day celebrations in the Southwest. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
96°F at showtime, feels 95° with bone-dry 13% humidity and a light 7 mph wind — hot but dry, not muggy.
See Phoenix’s show on the live map
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2Fort Worth, TXGreat sky · Index 7595°
The setting
Panther Island Pavilion, along the Trinity River — the largest fireworks show in the DFW metroplex.
The conditions
84°F actual, feels 95° at 53% humidity, 10 mph wind.
See Fort Worth’s show on the live map
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3Chesapeake, VAGreat sky · Index 8794°
The setting
Chesapeake City Park. “Celebrate Freedom” pairs a U.S. Fleet Forces Wind Ensemble concert with a Pyrotecnico fireworks show as part of VA250 programming. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
83°F actual, feels a muggy 94° at 66% humidity, 9 mph wind.
See Chesapeake’s show on the live map
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4Charlotte, NCGreat sky · Index 7993°
The setting
Truist Field. “SkyShow — Stars and Stripes Spectacular” at the Charlotte Knights’ home stadium. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
85°F actual, feels 93°, moderate 50% humidity, 8 mph wind.
See Charlotte’s show on the live map
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5Winston-Salem, NCGreat sky · Index 7093°
The setting
Truist Stadium. The Winston-Salem Dash pair a Double-A ballgame with a postgame fireworks show.
The conditions
85°F actual, feels 93°, 46% humidity, 8 mph wind.
See Winston-Salem’s show on the live map
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6Virginia Beach, VAGreat sky · Index 8893°
The setting
Virginia Beach Oceanfront, near 31st Street. The “Stars & Stripes Celebration” runs three beach-park concert stages into a barge-launched finale.
The conditions
81°F actual, feels a muggy 93° at 66% humidity, 10 mph wind.
See Virginia Beach’s show on the live map
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7Birmingham, ALGreat sky · Index 7892°
The setting
Vulcan Park, Red Mountain. “Thunder on the Mountain” launches with the iconic Vulcan statue silhouetted against the sky.
The conditions
81°F actual, feels 92° and muggy at 69% humidity, 10 mph wind.
See Birmingham’s show on the live map
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8Tucson, AZGreat sky · Index 8792°
The setting
Sentinel Peak (“A” Mountain) — Tucson’s signature Independence Day show, launched from the mountain overlooking downtown. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
90°F actual, feels 92°, dry 16% humidity, 10 mph wind — hot but dry, like Phoenix.
See Tucson’s show on the live map
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9New Orleans, LAGreat sky · Index 8192°
The setting
Mississippi Riverfront / Woldenberg Park. “Go 4th on the River” is the centerpiece of the city’s America 250 celebration, with a special comet-tail barrage sequence.
The conditions
83°F actual, feels a swampy 92° at 72% humidity, a light 6 mph wind.
See New Orleans’s show on the live map
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10Biloxi, MSGreat sky · Index 8392°
The setting
Biloxi Beach, launched from a barge near Deer Island — the signature Independence Day event on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The conditions
84°F actual, feels 92° and muggy at 69% humidity, 6 mph wind.
See Biloxi’s show on the live map
The Fireworks Index · Feels-like
Check the heat at your city’s show
Tap any of the 1,667 shows for its temperature, wind, and the full five-gate breakdown.
Explore the map
List 4
Smoke gets in your skies
These shows will fire on schedule — but you’ll be watching through a haze. The Index flags lingering wildfire smoke sitting in still air across the Great Lakes and Northeast, from Fort Wayne (74) and Syracuse (73) to Buffalo (71), and it shows up as far afield as South Florida and Alaska. The fireworks still go up; they’ll just read softer, and the smoke from each volley will hang longer than usual.
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1Fort Wayne, INLight air — smoke may linger74
The setting
Parkview Field — a standard annual pyrotechnic show at the ballpark. Held July 3rd.
The conditions
77°F, feels 83° and humid, a light 7 mph wind — calm enough that each volley’s smoke hangs instead of clearing.
See Fort Wayne’s show on the live map
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2Syracuse, NYLight air — smoke may linger73
The setting
NBT Bank Stadium — the Syracuse Mets’ largest fireworks night of the season, against Worcester.
The conditions
68°F, feels 71° and humid — wind barely moving at 3 mph, the stillest air on this list, which is exactly why the smoke lingers.
See Syracuse’s show on the live map
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3Buffalo, NYLight air — smoke may linger71
The setting
Canalside, on Lake Erie’s Inner Harbor — an all-day waterfront celebration, fireworks synced to 97 Rock FM.
The conditions
72°F, feels 75° and muggy, 6 mph wind — light enough that smoke drifts rather than clears.
See Buffalo’s show on the live map
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4Homestead, FLLight air — smoke may linger68
The setting
Homestead-Miami Speedway — an annual pyrotechnic show at the racetrack.
The conditions
77°F, feels 76° and muggy, a 40% rain chance, calm 4 mph wind.
See Homestead’s show on the live map
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5Asheville, NCLight air — smoke may linger66
The setting
Lake Julian Park — Western North Carolina’s largest independent fireworks display, reflecting off the lake with the Blue Ridge as a backdrop.
The conditions
74°F, feels 79°, a light 4 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Asheville’s show on the live map
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6Akron, OHLight air — smoke may linger66
The setting
Canal Park. The RubberDucks pair a Double-A game against Erie with a postgame show, part of the wider Heart of Akron Festival.
The conditions
73°F, feels 76° and muggy, 5 mph wind, a 10% rain chance.
See Akron’s show on the live map
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7Anchorage, AKLight air — smoke may linger65
The setting
Delaney Park Strip — Alaska’s largest Fourth of July celebration: a morning pancake breakfast, a parade, and a fireworks finale from Kosinski Fields at 11 PM, into a sky that barely gets dark this time of year.
The conditions
50°F, feels 51° and cool, 4 mph wind, a 40% rain chance.
See Anchorage’s show on the live map
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8Louisville, KYLight air — smoke may linger · scrub risk62
The setting
Waterfront Park, on the Ohio River — an all-evening celebration on the Great Lawn, closing with the expanded America 250 Fireworks Show.
The conditions
76°F, feels 79° and muggy, 4 mph wind, 0% rain — light air lets the smoke hang, and there’s some scrub risk too.
See Louisville’s show on the live map
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9Lexington, KYLight air — smoke may linger · scrub risk61
The setting
Thoroughbred Park / downtown, launched from the R.J. Corman railyard near Main Street — anchors a week of Independence Day programming.
The conditions
76°F, feels 79° and humid, 4 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Lexington’s show on the live map
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10Shreveport, LALight air — smoke may linger · scrub risk61
The setting
Shreveport Riverfront. KTBS 3 Freedom Fest, with fireworks synchronized across multiple ArkLaTex locations as part of America 250.
The conditions
79°F, feels 85° and muggy, 6 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Shreveport’s show on the live map
The Fireworks Index · Air clearance
See where the smoke is sitting tonight
The live map scores air clearance for every show — find the clearest air near you.
Explore the map
List 5
The iconic shows, ranked
The marquee names, best sky on top. San Diego’s Big Bay Boom leads at 87, with Boston (85) and New York’s Macy’s show (78) in strong shape. The bottom of the list is where the suspense is: the nation’s capital (Washington, DC — 65), Chicago (60), and Nashville (57) all carry real scrub risk into the evening.
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1San Diego, CABig Bay Boom — clear, dark, calm87
The setting
San Diego Bay. Four barges off Shelter Island, Harbor Island, and both Embarcaderos launch an 18-minute synchronized show for more than 250,000 spectators; Carnival Cruise Line sponsors 2026, with three ships anchored in the bay.
The conditions
65°F, feels 66° and comfortable, a 7 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See San Diego’s show on the live map
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2Boston, MABoston Pops — clear, dark, calm85
The setting
DCR Hatch Shell, on the Charles River Esplanade. Roughly 500,000 people for the 52nd year of the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, Keith Lockhart conducting, plus a drone show and a national broadcast on CNN.
The conditions
72°F, feels 77° and humid, an 8 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Boston’s show on the live map
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3New Orleans, LAGo 4th on the River — clear, dark, calm81
The setting
Mississippi Riverfront / Woldenberg Park — the centerpiece of the city’s America 250 celebration, closing with a 150-foot comet-tail barrage sequence.
The conditions
83°F, feels a swampy 92° at 72% humidity, a light 6 mph wind.
See New Orleans’s show on the live map
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4New York, NYMacy’s — clear, dark, calm78
The setting
Hudson River, near 34th St. The 50th-anniversary show launches from three rivers at once — Hudson, East River, and the Brooklyn Bridge — more than 60,000 shells, broadcast nationally on NBC and Peacock.
The conditions
81°F, feels a humid 88°, 6 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See New York’s show on the live map
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5Houston, TXFreedom Over Texas — clear, dark, calm77
The setting
Eleanor Tinsley Park / Sam Houston Park, along Buffalo Bayou. Now in its 39th year, with Keith Urban headlining alongside Collective Soul and Los Lonely Boys.
The conditions
80°F, feels a muggy 87° at 76% humidity, a light 6 mph wind.
See Houston’s show on the live map
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6Los Angeles, CAGrand Park — clear, dark, calm76
The setting
Grand Park, downtown LA — billed as the largest free Fourth of July celebration on the West Coast: six city blocks, two music stages, and a 700-drone light show over the DTLA skyline. Worth noting: this one is drones, not pyrotechnics.
The conditions
65°F, feels 67° and comfortable, a 4 mph wind, 0% rain chance.
See Los Angeles’s show on the live map
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7Philadelphia, PAWawa Welcome America — some scrub risk69
The setting
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, at the Museum of Art steps. The nation’s largest free Fourth of July celebration closes a two-week festival with a concert — Christina Aguilera, The Roots, Will Smith — and fireworks at 11:45 PM.
The conditions
78°F, feels a muggy 80°, 6 mph wind, 0% rain chance — but the Index still flags some scrub risk into the late show.
See Philadelphia’s show on the live map
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8Washington, DCNational Mall — some scrub risk65
The setting
National Mall, at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and Potomac River barges — the nation’s marquee Independence Day fireworks.
The conditions
80°F, feels a muggy 83°, a light 5 mph wind, and a 5% rain chance — enough uncertainty for the Index to flag scrub risk on the capital’s biggest night.
See Washington’s show on the live map
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9Chicago, ILWrigley Field — some scrub risk60
The setting
Wrigley Field — a public pyrotechnic show at the ballpark.
The conditions
74°F, feels 74° and muggy, a 30% rain chance, 8 mph wind — real scrub risk tonight.
See Chicago’s show on the live map
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10Nashville, TNLet Freedom Sing — some scrub risk57
The setting
Ascend Amphitheater / Riverfront Park. A two-day, five-stage festival headlined by Nick Jonas, Lauren Daigle, and Boyz II Men, closing with the largest fireworks-and-drone show in Nashville history, synced to the Nashville Symphony.
The conditions
80°F, feels a muggy 87°, 8 mph wind, a 15% rain chance.
See Nashville’s show on the live map
The Fireworks Index · 1,667 shows
Find your city among every U.S. show
Search any town, see its score and forecast, and share it — all on the live map.
Explore the map
Find your show
Your Fourth is one of 1,667
These are the extremes — the best skies, the worst, and the outliers. Your show is somewhere in between, with its own live forecast that updates every hour right through the Fourth. Search your city on the interactive Fireworks Index map to see its score, the five gates behind it, and how the evening trends toward showtime.
See your city’s show. Every one of the 1,667 shows, live and hourly — search yours on the interactive map.
Open the Fireworks Index →
Sources & method
- Tomorrow.io Fireworks Index. The 0–100 score and its five gates (burst ceiling, air clearance, storm/go window, ground risk, sky darkness). Every score, band, feels-like temperature, and national count in this piece is Tomorrow.io analysis, drawn from the forecast as of July 2, 2026, 16:06 UTC and refreshed hourly through the holiday.
- Tomorrow.io forecast. Cloud ceiling, wind, precipitation and thunder probability, temperature, humidity, and astronomical darkness, resolved to each venue’s exact coordinates and local start time on July 4, 2026.
- Venue corpus. 1,667 major U.S. public July 4 fireworks shows, each with a verified location, date, and scheduled start time.
