It's that time again!

[Foy]

The tower-mounted webcam on the Black Rock Desert playa is now operating for the remainder of the Burning Man festival. This year, it was not scheduled to begin broadcasting until early Friday am, Pacific Time, but according to my wife, she accessed it by around 6:00 pm PT yesterday.
In a stunning development, she said it appeared a bit dusty on the playa yesterday.

Foy

 

[Foy]

And in other news, it appears they may be getting some rain today, tonight, and into Sunday morning. Hehehe.

 

[ski3pin]

Yes, it's that time again!

 

[ski3pin]

And in other news, it appears they may be getting some rain today, tonight, and into Sunday morning. Hehehe.

I expect burners have creative ways to keep warm and dry, as they are avid outdoorists. Or, they don't even notice weather conditions. Burn on!

 

[craig333]

Massive drop in temps today. Slight chance of rain here. I suspect there will be no further road blockages either

 

[Foy]

Massive drop in temps today. Slight chance of rain here. I suspect there will be no further road blockages either

Not if the Pyramid Lake Tribal Police rangers have anything to say about it! Those gentlemen don't fool around. God Bless 'em!

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

I still think that camera view looks like a Star Wars set.
Happy first day of Fall.Where did summer go.

Burn on.
Frank

 

[Ted]

And in other news, it appears they may be getting some rain today, tonight, and into Sunday morning. Hehehe.

I thought it was illegal to be on the playa when it is wet. Or maybe I am confusing it with Racetrack Playa in DVNP. But in any case, doesn't the playa become monster mud that sucks any vehicle down to the axles when it is wet? That could put a damper o the 30,000 vehicles out there.

 

[ski3pin]

Current radar indicates it's raining on black rock city -

Radar

you'll need to move it over to north of Pyramid Lake.

 

[pvstoy]

Depends how much rain. The road in and out is closed. People there are asked to stay in place due to the weather.
.

 

[Foy]

Looks like they got a couple 1/10ths, enough to make a mess and cause the organizers to suspend driving and cycling on the playa. Still occasional showers with more predicted into Sunday morning. Cloud cover and cool temps would appear to delay drying. What's worst, the webcam is down as of 0530 Eastern (0230 Pacific). I'd kinda like to watch the fun as it unfolds today and tomorrow.

 

[JaSAn]

Is playa mud like Utah mud: teflon tires on butter?

 

[Foy]

Is playa mud like Utah mud: teflon tires on butter?

Great analogy which I intend to steal!
I've never experienced playa mud, but I've seen pictures and watched videos about it, and I know a few things about clay mineralogy, some from experience with Western US bentonites/smectites derived from volcanic ash deposits. The clays will pack up the best of mud tires, stick to everything, and even walking becomes difficult due to mud buildup on one's shoes or bare feet. Such soils give the meaning to the term "impassible when wet".

 

[craig333]

I"ve never driven on it when its wet (not that crazy) but I've seen plenty of pictures of people who just sink right down to the frame. We have clay soils in the delta and theres still probably traces of it on my Jeep. I gave up mud in my twenties or at least I try hard to avoid it.

 

[ski3pin]

We slept with the bedroom window open last night and barely got any sleep with the line of thunderstorms that passed over us, rain, lightning, thunder. In the midst of it, unable to sleep, I checked weather radar and saw the line of thunderstorms stretched from here to over the Black Rock Desert. The live webcam is off this morning. Coincidence?

 

[AWG_Pics]

In my younger days I had a '63 Scout 4WD. Being 19, and stupid by definition, we would pack 3 of us in that two seater and head into the desert south of Boise to do spinouts in the mini playas, laughing like hyenas. Slicker than snot on a doorknob is what we said then.

I am older, maybe not much wiser, but that experience has kept us out of many stuck spots in plays and "dirt" roads such as on Cedar Mesa, Utah. Clouds on the horizon means do not drive down any road that does not have a gravel base.

 

[Foy]

Webcam is back up. Looks like a ton of fun. News feeds mentioning "shelter in place" and conserve food and water directives from the organizers and noting absence of porta-potti service truck access to thousands of crappers. Weather forecasts mentioning rain from late tonight through the day on Sunday.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

The photo makes me appreciate not being there…

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That looks like so much fur.Sorry I missed it this year,maybe next time,in another life.
Frank

 

[pvstoy]