Burning Man Gate Closed Due To Bad Weather

The annual Burning Man celebration begins today and is set to run through September 1. Organizers have just announced that the gate to the event at Block Rock City has been closed through tonight and possibly into tomorrow due to rain and hail.

[Photo by Jeff Kravitz from Burning Man 2013]

The following note has been posted on the Burning Man Facebook page:

BRC is closed through tonight and likely into tomorrow morning. Law enforcement is turning back vehicles at Wadsworth and will be turning around vehicles at the event entrance and directed to find a place to shelter until the playa reopens. The playa is un-drivable

If you’re headed to the playa, be sure to keep your eyes on Burning Man’s Facebook page and Twitter feed for updates. The situation does not look good:

Check out our review and photo set from last year’s event about what makes Burning Man so special.

UPDATE 2 p.m. PT: Burning Man organizers have issued the following statement asking attendees traveling to the event to postpone their arrival until at least Tuesday morning:

Black Rock City, August 25, 2014 — Organizers of the annual Burning Man event are asking any participants traveling to the event now to postpone their arrival until at least Tuesday morning. Black Rock City has shut down following rainstorms that left standing water on the playa, leaving it un-drivable.

At the request of Burning Man organizers, Nevada Highway Patrol will be directing traffic away from Highway 447 at Wadsworth. Also at the request of organizers, local law enforcement have also begun turning around traffic at the event entrance on Highway 34 northeast of Gerlach. Drivers are being instructed to find a safe location to park until the expected re-opening of the event on Tuesday.

Organizers expect the rain to dissipate and the playa surface to dry out by midday Tuesday and participants will be allowed to enter the event again.