It will be cooler on the 4th of July with highs in the mid 80’s and mostly sunny skies. While wind speeds will be a little bit lighter, we’ll still want to stay fire aware. Thankfully, wind speeds will be much lighter after dark for fireworks. Winds will be lighter up at Tahoe as well. More than likely we’ll be able to see the fireworks, but there is a slight chance there could be a delay. Wind gusts will be around 10 miles per hour at 10pm. They’ll be closer to 30 miles per hour during the day.
Temperatures will be in the upper 60’s in Reno at 10pm, and 50’s at Lake Tahoe. 106 degrees is the hottest 4th of July on record in Reno, and 68 is the coolest. This year will be a little bit cooler than average. I’m giving Friday an eight. Not too hot, but there will be some wind. If it wasn’t for the wind I’d give Friday a 10.
According to the USGS, behind all of those pretty colors and noise from fireworks is a lesson in chemistry. Each of the different colors corresponds to a different mineral element. Some of the colors are a combination of elements. Yellow for example corresponds with Sodium and bright green goes with Barium. Copper and Strontium makes lavender. Aluminum powder makes bright flashes in the sky and loud bangs. Minerals form when two or more elements come together and crystalize. Barium comes from the mineral Barite, and is found in Nevada. Copper can be found in Nevada as well.
