On August 23, 2023, the start of the Burning Man festival that happens in the Black Rock desert in Nevada was delayed due to muddy conditions on the playa. This is the first time in more than eighty years that a hurricane hit the west coast, bringing massive amounts of rain to the desert. The rainfall has caused the Black Rock Desert’s silty ground to turn into a thick mud that stops or traps cars that get stuck in it.
The managers of the festival delayed the event and closed the gate, leaving the attendees to camp on the side of the road. The gate opened once the mud had dried enough so that they could install any art and get Burners into the playa.
Muddy areas are still present due to the recent humid and rainy weather. Even though conditions on the playa are still possibly hazardous for travel, the festival is still planned to continue on.
