Did you wake up and notice a milky haze outside?Normally an early morning haze would be because of fog, but that was not the case on Sunday morning.Because of the number of fireworks that exploded on the night of Saturday, July 4, the smoke in the air created a haze that was visible early Sunday morning.WPBF 25 First Warning Meteorologist Nikki Sheaks explained the science behind the haze as the haze is caused by all the particles and chemicals in the fireworks, which is basically like firework debris.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News“The debris settles because at night, the surface cools off and the warm air rises. So the warmer air above traps that smoke at the surface. It’s also not helping that winds are relatively calm, so nothing is blowing the smoke around and it’s able to settle at the surface,” Sheaks said.“Once temperatures warm up this morning, the air will begin to rise and mix which will cause the haze to dissipate.”The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement for Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County for poor air quality.”Elevated fine particulates concentrations are expected early this morning across southeast Florida. Concentrations may approach unhealthy standards in some locations. Residents that are sensitive to fine particulates should take precautions. Conditions are expected to improve by late morning,” the National Weather Service said in a statement.On Saturday, communities in Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Indian River counties celebrated America’s 250th anniversary of declaring independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, with fireworks displays.Exploding fireworks on July 4 is an annual tradition in the United States.Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.
Did you wake up and notice a milky haze outside?
Normally an early morning haze would be because of fog, but that was not the case on Sunday morning.
Because of the number of fireworks that exploded on the night of Saturday, July 4, the smoke in the air created a haze that was visible early Sunday morning.
WPBF 25 First Warning Meteorologist Nikki Sheaks explained the science behind the haze as the haze is caused by all the particles and chemicals in the fireworks, which is basically like firework debris.
Hearst OwnedWPBF 25 News
A milky haze settled over the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast on Sunday morning due to smoke and debris from July 4 fireworks, WPBF 25 First Warning Meteorologist Nikki Sheaks said on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Photo taken in Boca Raton, Florida.
Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News
“The debris settles because at night, the surface cools off and the warm air rises. So the warmer air above traps that smoke at the surface. It’s also not helping that winds are relatively calm, so nothing is blowing the smoke around and it’s able to settle at the surface,” Sheaks said.
“Once temperatures warm up this morning, the air will begin to rise and mix which will cause the haze to dissipate.”
Hearst OwnedWPBF 25 News
A milky haze settled over the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast in South Florida on Sunday morning due to smoke and debris from July 4 fireworks. Photo taken in Boca Raton, Florida on Sunday, July 5, 2026.
The National Weather Service issued a Special Weather Statement for Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County for poor air quality.
“Elevated fine particulates concentrations are expected early this morning across southeast Florida. Concentrations may approach unhealthy standards in some locations. Residents that are sensitive to fine particulates should take precautions. Conditions are expected to improve by late morning,” the National Weather Service said in a statement.
On Saturday, communities in Palm Beach, Martin, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Indian River counties celebrated America’s 250th anniversary of declaring independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, with fireworks displays.
Exploding fireworks on July 4 is an annual tradition in the United States.
Get the latest news updates with the WPBF 25 News app. You can download it here.