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Burning Man 2015.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Two years ago, I went to the Burning Man festival for the first time. The weather then was perfect — clear blue skies and 90-degree temperatures in the dry Nevada desert feels amazing, and there were none of the much hyped dust storms that I had prepared for by packing goggles, masks, and scarves.
2015-09-09
Last year it rained early on in the festival, which was actually a blessing because it limited the dust throughout the weekend.
But the weather at this year's Burning Man was a different story.
The festival nearly came to a standstill on Friday as strong gusts of wind prompted intense dust storms that lasted throughout the day. While we did see blue skies other days, it was usually in pockets between whiteouts.
Burning Man is held in the Black Rock Desert, a remote part of Nevada.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
While this year's festival did see some blue skies ...
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
... it also saw an incredible amount of dust.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
With 45-mph gusts of wind on Friday ...
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
... the desert dust was everywhere, blowing in everyone's face.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
That made it hard to bike or do anything, really.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
The dust storms often resulted in whiteout conditions on the playa.
Reuters/Jim Urquhart
Luckily, most people who attend the festival know about the potential of dust storms and come prepared with goggles, scarves, masks, and hats.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
According to the Burning Man website: "Weather on the playa is often violent and unpredictable. Dust storms, high winds, freezing temperatures, rain, we get it all out there. It's impossible to be overly prepared when it comes to the elements."
Reuters/Jim Urquhart
This year's cooler weather and winds were a result of a cold-air mass and low-pressure system that moved into the Sierra Nevada region, according to the National Weather Service.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
But it was imperative to maintain a positive attitude.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Many festivalgoers went on with their daily activities as usual despite the less-than-ideal conditions.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
And some seemed to embrace the weather.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
These people sure did.
Reuters/Jim Urquhart
It didn't stop the art cars from roaming the playa, either.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Some people braved the roads on their bikes.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Others did it on foot.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Most activations stayed open; this bartender just added a mask and goggles despite being indoors. Dust sneaked its way everywhere.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
The windy conditions didn't help.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Luckily, there were usually pockets of blue skies throughout the day.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
People really soaked up the sun while they could.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
While sometimes the dust could be beautiful in its own way ...
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
... mostly it just looked like this.
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Aly Weisman/Business Insider
Here's a video of what it was like being in a dust storm.
Aly is a Senior Correspondent for INSIDER, a new lifestyle publication from Business Insider Inc. She was previously the Senior Entertainment Editor at Business Insider. Before joining BI in 2011, she worked as a reporter, writer, and producer for E! News and E! Online in Los Angeles.Aly graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in journalism. She has written for numerous entertainment and lifestyle publications and hosted TV and web segments of similar content. You can follow her @AlyWeisman.
