Historical Weather at Burning Man by Year

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Burning Man is an annual event held in the Black Rock City’s Nevada Desert — about 2 hours outside of Reno. The temperatures can vary greatly depending on the time of day and weather conditions. However, based on historical data, the high and low temperatures for Burning Man each year typically fall within the following ranges:

High temperatures:

  • During the day: 80°F to 100°F (27°C to 38°C)
  • During heat waves: 100°F to 110°F (38°C to 43°C)

Low temperatures:

  • During the night: 40°F to 60°F (4°C to 15°C)
  • During cold spells: below freezing (32°F or 0°C)
  • It has snowed on playa during the burn before (albeit not for long and it didn’t stick)

Weather Fronts:

  • Rain: is possible although historically Burn week is usually dry. If it does rain, it isn’t usually a lot and it isn’t usually for long.
  • Wind: Very likely to have whiteouts for at least one if not multiple days (meaning the entire day is a dust storm). This could mean winds easily over 45mph sustained for long periods of time. You want to stake things down, always travel with a dust mask, and have goggles with you.
  • Snow: it has occurred before during Burning Man but has never stuck

It’s important to note that these are general temperature ranges and can vary from year to year. Black Rock City also doesn’t have it’s own data tracking sources so these measurements are usually pulled from a nearby location that is a bit more habitable meaning the actual experience at Black Rock City is more intense typically (hotter and colder) since it take place on a dry lakebed..

It’s always a good idea to check the weather forecast before attending Burning Man and to come prepared for extreme weather conditions.

Year by Year data

2024

  • Best weather (I’ve ever had): highs in the 80s and 90s, lows in the 40s and 50s, and winds during Burn week maxed out at 5mph. In years past there has always been at least one windy day despite the highs or lows, not 2024 – it was nearly dust free. I would like to note there was winds upwards of 40mph during build and tear down, along with a small rain shower during build — but none of that during Burn week.

2022

  • Hottest year with the least amount of variation (as measurement by max temperature)

2019 (what I would call an average year)

  • During the day, high temperatures ranged from the mid-80s to the mid-90s Fahrenheit (29-35 degrees Celsius)
  • During the night, low temperatures ranged from the mid-40s to the mid-50s Fahrenheit (7-13 degrees Celsius)
  • Some winds peaking at 30mph

2014

  • Wettest year on record with about 10 inches of rain during the event. If 2023 thought it was a wet one, think again.

2010

  • Coldest year on record with the daily high sometimes only reaching 60 degrees and the nightly low dropping into the 30’s

Radical self reliance – be prepared, plan accordingly, and be ready for the unpredictable.

Here are a few weather links we like to check before we leave and while on playa:

Burning Man does have an onsite meteorologist and they put daily weather and travel updates here. Please check that link before you go and while on playa if you have internet accessibility to stay in the know. If high winds or rain is being called for, it’s always best to adjust travel and plans accordingly.

https://www.willyweather.com/nv/pershing-county/black-rock-city-burning-man-festival.html
https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/gerlach/89412/august-weather/344284
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1AfpmyriBHIFQ_Jymw3wHn9dtAGTgLcAjbnogNPsLvEA/edit#gid=0 → Updated by people with BRC

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