Wind and rain snarled early arrivals to Burning Man, with traffic stalled for hours Sunday on the road to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
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In the hours Saturday night before the event’s gate was set to open, the National Weather Service issued a wind advisory forecasting gusts of up to 45 mph. Organizers put out the word for people already on site to “batten down” and for those en route to hold up in Reno if possible. Traffic was being turned back at Wadsworth, just off Interstate 80.
Conditions improved early Monday and the gate was reopened at 7:30 a.m., according to information streams from the event. Travelers in Reno were told they could proceed; Burner Express Bus service from Reno and San Francisco was departing on schedule.
At 10 a.m., travel time “from gravel to gate” — the last, unpaved section — was more than 8 hours, the @bmantraffic X stream said.
“The weather … is expected to be unstable for two more days,” the Black Rock City dashboard said. “Please keep an eye on the forecast as you plan your travel to Black Rock City.”
The past two years have seen extreme weather events at Burning Man — heavy rain in 2023 and a severe dust storm last year. This year, the forecast had been more encouraging.
Traffic is expected to increase as the week goes on. The art-and-culture event runs through next Monday, Labor Day.