At what time does it start getting cold at night?

[Rebel514]

At what time does it start to get cold at night?

[Jackass]

I'll give you three options to choose from, tell me which one best applies to your situation.

A. As soon as the sun comes up
B. Right after lunch
C. When the sun goes down

Hint: It's not A or B...

[Dr. Pyro]

That is an impossible question to (correctly) answer. I've gone for 17 years and generally you can say once the sun sets (it dips behind the mountains around 7:20 p.m.) the temperature drops quickly. But then, sometimes it doesn't. I've seen years that it will be nearly 90 at midnight (2004 I think; the year with the huge chandelier) and other years it will be cold by 5 p.m. In 2005 I believe it went from 28 degrees to 105 in 36 hours. So plan on it cooling off in the evening and if it doesn't great. But in the overall scheme of things, does it really matter?

[ZigZag]

Of course is all relative. From my perspective, living in Minnesota, where when it gets below 30 we start thinking about wearing long sleeves with our shorts and flipflops, BRC won't be cold again until November!

But the reality of the high desert is that temperatures feel more extreme since there is high altitude coupled with really dry air. Coooler temps feel colder and when that sun is gone, your body cools off real fast. People out in the open desert at night can suffer hypothermia if they are not prepared.

I've been watching the Wunderground forecasts for BRC and it actually looks like its going to be fairly chilly out there this week. But you can see how much the temperature cycles and that chance of rain is pretty much flatlined at 0

[Just_Joe]

At what time does it start to get cold at night?

Yeah, what the other guys said.
The sun dips below the mountains at ~ 7:15pm on Sunday and then a couple minutes earlier each night. It's full on dark about 30-40 minutes after that. Once the sun is gone, winds die down and temperatures drop quickly. Usually.

[Jackass]

Last year was cold at night, 38 in my trailer if I remember correctly. Anyone have a graph for that?

[Eric]

Last year was the coldest I can remember (at least the coldest that lasted multiple days), there have also been years where it was too warm for me to wear my night-time suits, some of which are really light weight.

Plan to have layers after 7:30ish, and you can always toss an "emergency blanket" (one of those mylar things) in your bag just in case. I also always have some good thermals in a ziplock bag, just in case. Last year they got plenty of use, but most years they just take up space. As with everything on playa, there is no definite answer.

[ZigZag]

Last year was cold at night, 38 in my trailer if I remember correctly. Anyone have a graph for that?

8/26/2015 Min temp: 39 degrees. YMMV!

[Jackass]

Last year would have been between 8-30-15 and 9-7-15, but I appreciate the graph nonetheless.

[Captain Goddammit]

There have been years when I've run my A/C all night (I think about '04 like Doc Pyro said) and there have been years when I ran the furnace all night. You don't ever know ahead of time what you're going to get for weather in BRC. The advice everyone who has been there many years is the same: come prepared for whatever.

And yeah, when it gets cold out there it feels really fucking cold. So the answer is after sundown be ready for the cold and be happy if it isn't.

[BBadger]

Last year, the nights got cold early in the evening, which sometimes put a damper on some night activities, especially when we'd have to make a pit-stop to find warmer clothing and/or people just wanted to head in for the night. Other years, I'd often feel pretty good with lighter outer wear until about 4 AM, at which point I'd notice a real drop in temperature. Usually I still felt warm, since I'd be wearing a fez and other warm clothing.

I always pack along a scarf-type accessory and gloves. Having leg warmers on is nice too. Usually I'm wearing some sort of hat too, so that keeps me in good shape.

[dustyfux]

Last years quote (apologies for not giving proper credit if you said it)

2015: The year I never ran my AC, but turned the heater on twice.

[Savannah]

It's cooler as soon as the sun sets (like Just_Joe says, at 7:15ish) but I'm usually not cold until 8 or 9. There are those wonderful rare nights when the air is warm like bathwater until 11 or midnight, but those are not as common as I would like them to be.

If I'm heading out in the afternoon I tend to take a sweater or hoodie in my bag so I can prolong my journey as long as possible (as the tendency is to find oneself out much longer than anticipated).

[knobdyspcl]

ASK and the internet will provide...

Gerlach
NOW until
10:00pm Fri
Red Flag Warning

Tonight
Tonight: Areas of blowing dust before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 59. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
Areas Blowing
Dust and
Breezy then
Partly Cloudy
Low: 59 °F

Saturday
Saturday: Areas of blowing dust after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy, with a southwest wind 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph.
Areas Blowing
Dust and
Breezy
High: 83 °F

Saturday
Night
Saturday Night: Areas of blowing dust before 11pm. Partly cloudy, with a low around 52. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph in the evening. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.
Areas Blowing
Dust and
Breezy then
Partly Cloudy
Low: 52 °F

Sunday
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 75. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Mostly Sunny
High: 75 °F

Sunday
Night
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Mostly Clear
Low: 46 °F

Monday
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79.
Sunny
High: 79 °F

Monday
Night
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51.
Mostly Clear
Low: 51 °F

Tuesday
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 88.
Sunny
High: 88 °F

[FlyingMonkey]

Those highs seem low

I likes me some hot Playa.

[Savannah]

Those highs seem low

I likes me some hot Playa.

Awww, don't worry. It's still 6 or so weeks away; no one can truly tell you what the weather may be, as much as we would like to pretend.

Just pack everything. Including the PJs, the extra blanket, the sassy 40F playa coat, the sunhat, the extra sunscreen, the plastic bags for your feet so your shoes don't get ruined in rainstorm, and some sort of rowboat . . . properly lit & licensed.

[bluemiragemi]

Sunset. Sunset. Sunset. Get your ass back to camp for something warm, or bring it with you. I go from a skirt and a tank top to sliding leggings under the skirt and throwing my winter coat on, pretty damn fast. <3

[Aze]

It definitely gets colder soon after the sun goes down, but unlike in coastal areas it keeps getting colder and colder until the sun comes up. Partially because of the slight altitude and because the playa doesn't store as much heat as concrete or cities. This is why the ravers who stay up until the sunrise wear really heavy fur jackets, while the many in the evening can get away shirtless or in light vests and bare arms.

I find that sometime between 11pm and 2am many will make a trip back to camp for much warmer clothes if they want to stay out late. But I usually have planned ahead and put the warm clothes in a bike pannier (can't understand why I seem to be the only one who uses bike bags instead of backpacks... never once have I had anything stolen out of them while the bike is unattended).

[knobdyspcl]

Those highs seem low

I likes me some hot Playa.

Is this a little more to your liking???

Detailed Forecast
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 53. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 91. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 55. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 93. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night
Clear, with a low around 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the evening.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 95.
Saturday Night
Clear, with a low around 59.

Sunday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.
Sunday Night
Clear, with a low around 58.

Monday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.
Monday Night
Clear, with a low around 61.

Tuesday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 101.
Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 102.

[FlyingMonkey]

Those highs seem low

I likes me some hot Playa.

Is this a little more to your liking???

Detailed Forecast
Tonight
Clear, with a low around 53. West wind 5 to 10 mph.

Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 91. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Thursday Night
Clear, with a low around 55. Breezy, with a west wind 15 to 20 mph decreasing to 5 to 10 mph after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 93. Southwest wind around 5 mph.
Friday Night
Clear, with a low around 56. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming northwest in the evening.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 95.
Saturday Night
Clear, with a low around 59.

Sunday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.
Sunday Night
Clear, with a low around 58.

Monday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 100.
Monday Night
Clear, with a low around 61.

Tuesday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 101.
Tuesday Night
Clear, with a low around 63.

Wednesday
Sunny and hot, with a high near 102.

Much better. Need stronger winds though. I expect at least a few good white outs per Burn

Actually I am unable to go this year. I hope for everyone else's sake that the weather is better than last year.

But you know how it goes, show up prepared for anything & enjoy whatever the Playa throws your way

[ranger magnum]

In 2015, on Thursday of the event, the daytime high was 72F. So it was pretty cold all day, and devastatingly cold by 9 PM.

Also, define cold. I tend to run hot anyway, so cold to me is usually a lot different than to most people. My idea of cold is when I have to wear my fur coat. And that usually is around midnight.

Now on occasion, I have been know to ingest certain things that raise my body temperature. So with that going on, I never really get cold, even into the early am hours.

[ruebear]

To add onto the comments on how to stay warm when temps do drop, I put small heat packs inside my socks (sat on my ankles) to keep my feet warm while out on the playa and gloves. Gloves were key for helping me stay warm last year especially when the wind was really blowing around midnight. It was my first year attending and was really glad I had layers, gloves and the heat packs to stay warm.

[skibear]

Found out the hard way when It's cold. At 4pm I was a few hundred yards from the Meet & Greet but missed it as I fell
asleep from excess alcohol at 4pm ! Woke up naked and cold AT 11PM. I was lucky to find my bike locked nearby but it
was one butt freezing really cold ride (with naked butt) across the esplanade at that hour ! ! ! Had a small wrap-useable
walking but not on a bike. LOL

[Token]

With temperatures swinging in the 50f range daily, (~ 20c for you Limeys and Canadians)...

It gets fucking cold fucking fast at sunset, no matter what the real temperature may be.

Anything else is just an exception to the above guideline.