Juneau's annual Fourth of July fireworks display (which actually begins each July 3, just before midnight) is typically terrific, and huge crowds gather along Egan Drive and at select viewing places to see the latest. It is never disappointing, and wasn't even in 2023, when it seemed there might have been some mishap that interrupted the show for a while. 

The 2023 show included these ten highlights (and there were many more highlights, making selection a challenge):

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But 2024 was different, because atmospheric conditions kept all the smoke from the fireworks in the area. Normally a breeze moves the smoke away from the display area. But not in 2024. As a result, smoke often obscured or partially obscured the higher displays as the show went on. It didn't affect the lower displays as much. The smoke was disappointing to viewers used to seeing an unobscured show. And there was a hiatus in the display that might have indicated there had been some sort of problem in the launching area.

Nonetheless, very oddly, the smoke made for terrifically dramatic photos in 2024. Many of the resulting images have the look of NASA's awe-inspiring Hubble-distant-galaxy images. Very impressive and dramatic, and much different from the usual.

Here are some of the 2024 images:

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That said, the 2023 show made for better photos and viewing.

Just in case you want to see more fireworks photos from these two annual displays, here are direct links to my two website galleries, the first is for the 2023 display; the second is for the 2024 display. 

https://bobeastaughimagery.zenfolio.com/p862692172   (2023)
https://bobeastaughimagery.zenfolio.com/p482474344   (2024)