Watch: Burning Man exodus hindered by desert dust storm

PERSHING COUNTY, Nev. – More than 70,000 attendees of the annual Burning Man gathering waited hours in blowing dusk to leave the Black Rock Desert in northwestern Nevada after the week-long streak of cultural activities.The annual event wrapped up Monday, but attendees reported being still stuck in traffic on Tuesday while trying to find the safest exit route.”There are a finite number of vehicles that can get out of Black Rock City (BRC) and onto County Route 34 (CR 34) per hour. This is a fixed number, and probably won’t change any time in the near future,” organizers stated.National Weather Service meteorologists said the combination of the heat and vehicle traffic likely was behind the blowing dust, as the agency did not have widespread reports from outside the event grounds of a dust storm.”Winds of 20 to 25 mph are enough to lift the dust and cause disabilities to be reduced,” the NWS office in Reno, Nevada, said.In order for a Dust Storm Warning to be issued, visibility must fall to 1/4 mile or less, and wind speeds of generally 25 mph or more are required.BURNING MAN FESTIVALGOERS EXPERIENCE TRAVEL HEADACHES AGAIN DUE TO RAINDue to a ridge of high pressure, weather conditions were expected to remain relatively constant, with warm afternoon highs and nighttime temperatures falling into the 50s.Clear skies enabled a NOAA satellite to capture nighttime photos of the desert location, revealing the deployment of lights throughout the weeklong gathering site.A photo comparison of images taken before and during the event showed the expansion of temporary structures, illuminated enough to be seen by satellites more than 500 miles in orbit.Despite the extensive collaboration in arts, music and culture, participants are expected to adhere to the principle of leaving no trace, which is a core tenet of event organizers.The overall weather for the event was relatively favorable compared to previous years, which were marked by smoke from nearby wildfires and flash flooding from monsoon rains.FLOOD-STRANDED BURNING MAN REVELERS BEGIN MASS EXODUS AFTER MONSOON RAINS TRAPPED FESTIVALGOERSThe Black Rock Desert sits at some 4,000 feet above sea level and is susceptible to weather extremes.During the summer, daytime temperatures can reach well above 90 degrees, and after nightfall, temperature drops can be significant.Next year’s gathering is tentatively scheduled to take place during the last week of August and conclude around Sept. 1, 2025.