"There were wind gusts over 45 mph for a sustained period of time," a Burning Man project spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to SFGATE. "Participants and staff were advised to batten down their camps and avoid driving during low visibility."

Burning Man's Black Rock City was hit by dust and wind storms over the weekend ahead of the week-long event in Black Rock Desert in Nevada officially opening yesterday

Burning Man attendees faced the threat of dust storms and heavy rain as the festival opened, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing weather alerts for northern and central Nevada. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that campsites that had been erected early were damaged after a dust storm hit the desert before the festival began.