Beautiful as each photo is, it really adds to the effect to put them all in a row. The subtle changes in lighting on the statue and in the sky make this an incredible montage.

Great work as always, Kevin and Ian!

Wow, great pics! I'm glad you folks are also thinking about snowstorms in July. Seems like we need a lot of strategizing this year to avoid the "no snow" of last year.

Great pics, Kevin and Ian. Already on my desktop as wallpaper.

If we pool our resources, we could get a snowmaker big enough to shut down all the federal buildings.

Thunderstorms developing southwest of the area and moving to the northeast.

Currently little action here at Baileys Crossroads. Temp. 84 F. Sky bright, but cloudy. Scattered radar echoes to SW.

NCEP Extended Forecast Discussion is noting that Bertha could pose threat to Bahamas/S.E. U.S. by late next week. NHC seems to note slow northward recurvature by Thurs.; more threat to Bermuda. Most extreme intensity forecast has 85 kts. (97.5 mph) at boundary of Category 2. Probability cone per NHC still brings storm north of Antilles, S. of Bermuda.

Maybe you all can explain why many of us watching from the Virginia side saw little more than a large black cloud of smoke instead of the rockets' red glare. (You can see this somewhat in the pictures above if you look to the right of the frame; it was much more intrusive the further south you went in Virginia - people at the US Air Force Memorial had their view completely obstructed). We could only theorize that it had something to do with the humidity and lack of wind, but I'm curious as to whether there is a more technical reason. I've been watching fireworks in DC my whole life and don't remember this happening in the past. Thank you.

Rebecky - about time you guys got in on the fun. For at least the past two years a southerly wind has brought the smoke north/northwest from the mall, obscuring our view of the fireworks in NW. It doesn't take much wind to shift smoke, and whatever was blowing last night was enough to bring it your way (and away from us).

Rebecky, I think your theorizing is basically correct. At the 9pm observation, DCA reported an east-northeast wind at under 5 mph with high levels of humidity in a fairly stagnant airmass. Smoke sometimes able to dissipate under stronger winds just meandered to the south and west last night. Last year there was a pretty good wind, so the smoke moved along relatively well. But in 2006 (as Max relates in his post) similar conditions, with a light wind from the south, helped significantly obscure the show in parts of D.C.

Kevin and Ian...these are just great photos.

Are they going to be for sale through The Post?

If not, how can I arranged to buy one?

thanks

Seahawkdad: I'd contact Kevin and Ian through their private Web sites. Kevin can be reached via his site Weatherbook.com and Ian via IanLivingston.com.