A basically fog-free evening on July 4th in San Francisco made for a fireworks show … that wasn’t blocked by low-lying cloud cover.
Admittedly, we’re not the biggest fans of fireworks shows in San Francisco. Their deafening sounds send birds startled in all directions — sometimes traveling miles over the ocean, only to tire and die attempting to get back on solid ground — and unnecessary environmental pollutants are released into the air. To top it all off, San Francisco isn’t a metro known for its stellar firework shows … mainly because fog hazes almost all of them.
During the summer months, marine layers are thick around the San Francisco Bay Area, rolling in early in the evening and lingering well into the late mornings. These layers are also “thicker” and more persistent this time of year.
Nevertheless, against all odds, San Franciscans and tourists alike were treated to a rare, almost fog-free fireworks show yesterday, July 4th. Instead of the usual neon reds, yellows, and blues veiled by low-lying cloud cover, the pyrotechnics exploded without much natural dimming.
Crowds gathered along Crissy Field to watch the show, elated that none of the forecasted fog came to fruition. SFMTA noted that some 200,000 rides were recorded to and from the San Francisco festivities yesterday; local businesses, including newly opened restaurants, anecdotally reported that foot traffic was the highest they’d seen in months; while dozens of California cities chose to skip their annual Fourth of July fireworks shows this year in light of a deadly fireworks explosion in Yolo County, which left at least one person with another seven reported missing, San Francisco’s went on without a hiccup.
For those of y’all who missed out on 2025’s rare fog-free fireworks show, take a scroll through some of our favorite pics below.
