Likely temperature range for 2017?

[drdiffracto]

I've been told (repeatedly) that it can get quite cold on playa, like in the lower 30s. However, the weather forecast for the next 10 days only shows lows in the mid 50s or lower 60s.

I know that no one can predict the weather in advance, but in years past, was it already getting cold at night this close to the event? Not looking for any guarantees, but just a general sense of what to expect.

Also, is the weather forecast for "Black Rock City" on Weather Underground or Google actually accurate? It usually shows up as a weather station in Gerlach, but I gather that the weather should be about the same on playa as in Gerlach, right?

Thanks!

[AfricanFire]

Even 50's can feel very cold after you've been in the extreme heat all day. Add in lack of sleep and poor nutrition and you will feel temps differently than you usually do.

[lucky420]

We've been having high 89's mid 90's this past week in Reno. Playa weather is similar. 50 does feel chilly at night if you sleep in a tent

[Sham]

It can get extremely cold at night. Last year, it was in the low 30's. I gave my comforter to a camp mate who was really unprepared and I slept in 2 layers of clothes. It was really freezing. Prepare for 100+ days and below freezing nights.

[Ratty]

Bring panty hose.

[Traveller in Time]

Over the last several months I've been working on getting a weather station installed in Gerlach.
It's now up and running!
GerlachWeather.com

Quote from 2017 Playa Conditions

Just be prepared for scorching heat in a dust bowl lasting days. Days of High intensity UV and freezing temparatures during a hail storm at night.

Use layer upon layer of clothes, dustmask, goggles and sunscreen.

And a Hardhat for the hail. (edited after posting)

[Just_Joe]

We camped 2 miles north of BRC this weekend.
Last night at 11pm, temp was 70. It felt chilly.

[Token]

50s with super low humidity and a breeze will feel colder than a witches tit in February.

Forget the temperatures, the numbers mean nothing unless you already live in a high-desert environment to begin with.

It is all about the humidity.

85 degrees can feel refreshing and brisk out there.

I find great irony in your "burning since 2010" tag.

[drdiffracto]

I find great irony in your "burning since 2010" tag.

I actually have been going to regional burns since 2010. So this will be my 13th burn, but my first Burning Man. Weird, I know, but I live pretty far from Nevada.

[FlyingMonkey]

Totally agree with the above but keep in mind that if it rains & you get caught out at night you could be at risk for hypothermia.

Always plan for freaking hot & cold extremes & be happy if they don't happen.

[Token]

I find great irony in your "burning since 2010" tag.

I actually have been going to regional burns since 2010. So this will be my 13th burn, but my first Burning Man. Weird, I know, but I live pretty far from Nevada.

You my friend are in for a treat!

Come back here and describe what The Playa smells like, from the first moment you caught the scent, to the last waft of exodus.

Pick your nose often to get the full experience.

[Admiral Fukkit]

You're burning since you've been to burning man. I mean, unless I've been walking on other planets for decades, since I've been practicing on this one and all...

[drdiffracto]

You're burning since you've been to burning man. I mean, unless I've been walking on other planets for decades, since I've been practicing on this one and all...

Sigh. Yeah, I know, regionals aren't the same thing, despite all the volunteering I've done, the shared community and principles, etc. But I'm very much looking forward to people not being able to say things like that to me ever again.

[Admiral Fukkit]

It's not that big a deal. It's a big camping party with a lot of radical art.
The so-called principals are mostly BS.
Radical self reliance is the biggest joke principle, particularly among more recent Burners.

As far as temps, the only good bet is to bring clothing for both really hot and really cold. Most people are very surprised how cold it can be at night.

[drdiffracto]

Cool, yeah, sounds like a lot of layers is the way to go. I've been to some regional burns in January where the temperatures really were in the 20s, and being properly equipped was the difference between having a great time and literally freezing to death.

What about sleeping, though? Do we need cold-weather sleeping bags, or will a warm-weather one and maybe an extra blanket be enough (assuming an air mattress below it)?

[Dr. Pyro]

FWIW, in 2005 it went from 28 degrees to 105 in 36 hours. From literally freezing to broiling in a day and a half. In 2000 it rained every damn day. Every one! And we were freezing in mid-afternoon. Other years, like 2004, it was hot and very warm well past midnight. So you really never can tell. Expect extremes and hope for the best.

[drdiffracto]

FWIW, in 2005 it went from 28 degrees to 105 in 36 hours. From literally freezing to broiling in a day and a half. In 2000 it rained every damn day. Every one! And we were freezing in mid-afternoon. Other years, like 2004, it was hot and very warm well past midnight. So you really never can tell. Expect extremes and hope for the best.

Holy shit. Good to know, thanks!

[Traveller in Time]

Dont forget the hard hat (with headlights) it appears at night it may be cold and dark in the desert

and navigation lights Red left, Green right. top and rear White

and some optional extra layers

[Token]

What about sleeping, though? Do we need cold-weather sleeping bags, or will a warm-weather one and maybe an extra blanket be enough (assuming an air mattress below it)?

The playa floor at night will be a massive thermal sync. An air mattress will not help keep you warm.

Make sure you have something insulating you from the cold air mattress and ground.

I'd bring both. The heavy one to sleep on, the warm weather one to cover with, plus a king sized bed sheet to cover everything after you get up and make the bed.

The bedsheet keeps the playa dust out of your bed and you take it out, shake it out, then go to bed.

Rinse and repeat.

I'm still sensing that you do not get it on how cold it will really be. It will be brutal cold.

[drdiffracto]

I'm still sensing that you do not get it on how cold it will really be. It will be brutal cold.

Your spidey sense is keen. This thread has convinced me that I need to prepare for extreme cold, though, so I get it now. Thanks for the advice!

[Token]

The part that is hard to explain is the lack of humidity and 50 degree temperature swings. It does crazy things to the body, and it doesn't really make sense unless you are already a high-dessert dweller.

The altitude also adds to the flavor for most.

[Skuzzy61]

It can get extremely cold at night. Last year, it was in the low 30's. I gave my comforter to a camp mate who was really unprepared and I slept in 2 layers of clothes. It was really freezing. Prepare for 100+ days and below freezing nights.

Did it really get that cold last year? I thought it got chilly a few nights, but overall the temperatures were pretty moderate last year. At least, that is what I thought. I better revise what I have been saying. hehe.

FWIW, in 2005 it went from 28 degrees to 105 in 36 hours. From literally freezing to broiling in a day and a half. In 2000 it rained every damn day. Every one! And we were freezing in mid-afternoon. Other years, like 2004, it was hot and very warm well past midnight. So you really never can tell. Expect extremes and hope for the best.

That is what we did. We were ready for rain, Sun, ice....you name it. Even had a hail storm contingency prepared. It was our first year, and we were absolutely determined not to be sparkle ponies.

[maladroit]

Night temps were moderate last year (2016). 2015 was the one with the freezing temps. Nipples nearly wore holes in my shirts, even when bundled up in a coat wrapped in a blanket while sheltered from the wind inside an art car and swigging hot coffee & Fireball. 2015 had some cold days, not just nights. My whole camp skipped the Temple burn that year, through unspoken mutual agreement...we're usually Monday-leavers.

My first year, I did not understand either. I set up camp and flopped into a sleeping bag (didn't inflate air mattress). Woke up whole-body shivering, colder than I've felt in many years (and I grew up in Wisconsin). The playa sucked the heat right out of me. I pay attention towards the weekend when I find people taking a nap on the playa, I make sure they're OK and have enough warm clothes and lights. Hypothermia is possible.

This year appears to be "about average" whatever that means Keep in mind that while Gerlach is close, the environment out there can in fact be quite different. It will get colder than Gerlach overnight and warmer than Gerlach during the day, and of course the winds are whatever they want to be.

[Savannah]

It was cold enough one year (2010 or 2011) that I literally saw a puddle on the playa that had turned to ice. At least 3 of my Burns have involved [a night or two of] lows in the 30's. More typically it'll be 50-55F at night, but sometimes it does get a bit wretched.

A cold weather sleeping bag is always a good idea. I also tend to stuff my bedding with a blanket and a sheet or two, so I have options.

[GreyCoyote]

Two things:

1). Layer up. Seriously. Insulate yourself in a configurable manner. Ramp up or down the layers to match the conditions and your exertion level.
2). Break the wind. Your teeth will chatter in 65F weather with 5% humidity in a 15 mph wind. You MUST HAVE an outer shell that is windproof to endure a cool night. One year I used a trash bag with head and arm holes Nd it made a whopping big difference!

BTW: those "Hot Hands" chemical handwarmers are the bomb. Pull them out of your pocket every 20 minutes and blow through them slowly to keep them working in the dry air (they are moisture triggered. Your breath will add moisture and trigger a burst of heat from a cool or "dying" warmer)

[BBadger]

Oh man, I didn't know that about those hand warmers, even though I've brought them before.

Other tips:

- Bring gloves! It's so much nicer being able to ride around on a bike and not have your fingers chilled to the bone.
- Bring scarves! They look nice, and they keep your neck warm.
- Wear a hat! Another opportunity to decorate yourself, and it keeps you really warm. My red fez was a wonderful way to stay warm.

[SoMuchLOVE]

It's not that big a deal. It's a big camping party with a lot of radical art.
The so-called principals are mostly BS.
Radical self reliance is the biggest joke principle, particularly among more recent Burners.

As far as temps, the only good bet is to bring clothing for both really hot and really cold. Most people are very surprised how cold it can be at night.

Dear Mr. Admiral Fukkit Sir, I really do hope we meet on the Playa. Maybe you can open my eyes to the world as you see it and maybe I can give you a glimpse of the limitless world I live in. <3


***As for temperatures!

reading all these posts about how cold it gets has given me the motivation to take my fluffy jaguar fur coat! (its really 100% polyester )

[lucky420]

It's not that big a deal. It's a big camping party with a lot of radical art.
The so-called principals are mostly BS.
Radical self reliance is the biggest joke principle, particularly among more recent Burners.

As far as temps, the only good bet is to bring clothing for both really hot and really cold. Most people are very surprised how cold it can be at night.

Dear Mr. Admiral Fukkit Sir, I really do hope we meet on the Playa. Maybe you can open my eyes to the world as you see it and maybe I can give you a glimpse of the limitless world I live in. <3


***As for temperatures!

reading all these posts about how cold it gets has given me the motivation to take my fluffy jaguar fur coat! (its really 100% polyester )

Yes take the big fluffy coat, it can always double as a blanket too. I use mine as an extra blanke thrown on when it's cold AF

[Admiral Fukkit]

I really do hope we meet on the Playa. Maybe you can open my eyes to the world as you see it and maybe I can give you a glimpse of the limitless world I live in. <3

I know about your starred-eyed world. Most of us start out thinking burning man is some magical fairyland. Eventually you figure out it's just the same people that live everywhere else, with some of them paying for most of it and doing most of the work, and others who sound like a walking acid trip "contributing" their aura and well-meaning.
It's still fun but dude I was doing this almost 20 years ago, when it was a lot closer to those now-laughable and largely ignored Principles.
Anytime I want to see your world, the bag of shrooms is right there.

[ACfromSAC]

Did it really get that cold last year? I thought it got chilly a few nights, but overall the temperatures were pretty moderate last year. At least, that is what I thought. I better revise what I have been saying. hehe.

Last year had a few chilly nights. 2015 got much colder (I think it was 2015), It was never all that hot during the day and it got down into the 30s at night. There were a few REEEEEAAAAALLY cold early morning bike rides back to camp.