Steve Timko, and Emerson Marcus

7:45 p.m. update

An unusual rainstorm that filled the Black Rock Desert with standing water prevented thousands of would-be Burners from entering Black Rock City on Monday, forcing them to turn around and wait for drier weather today.

Those showers on Monday turned the fine dirt on the playa into "mucky mud," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez said. Event organizers and law enforcement feared the thousands of Burners coming to attend the week-long counter-culture festival outside of Gerlach would get stuck in the mud.

"With rain attached to it (playa dust), people get stuck everywhere," Lopez said.

Burning Man's official Twitter account first announced there were problems with the weather Monday morning, asking Burners to stay in Reno until further notice. By mid afternoon, organizers tweeted, "(Black Rock City) is closed until midday Tuesday due to rain and standing water. At the request of organizers, law enforcement is turning cars back."

Edan Weishahn, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Reno, said no storms are expected Tuesday.

"(Tuesday) should be a much drier, sunnier day," she said Monday evening.

Some Burners drove to RV parks in the region while others found places to park in Gerlach, the small Nevada town just outside the Black Rock Desert.

"We're going to make the best of the situation," said Charlie Lucas, a Burner from Portland, Ore.

Meanwhile, a "giant influx" of Burners who didn't make it through the Black Rock City gates drove to Pyramid Lake, the Pyramid Lake Tribal Council said.

One of them, a man who only identified himself as "Rob", was wearing a fur vest and shiny silver-colored shorts that left little to the imagination. He said he drove 12 hours from Los Angeles last night before arriving at the Burning Man gate Monday morning.

"It was absolutely pouring," Rob said. "It started hailing. I had to jump out of my car and put up the tarp.

"It came out of nowhere," he said.

RGJ Burning Man reporter Katrina Raenell was one of the participants who arrived at the festival prior to Monday's rain storm.

"Thunderstorms rolled through the playa around 6 a.m. and rain continued for several hours," she said. "There was a slight break in the weather, but now it's starting again.

"The playa is mud, making it impossible to bike in and very difficult to walk in," she said.

Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham did not return calls and a voice message for comment.

Reno hotels offered deals for rained out Burners and Lex Nightclub at the Grand Sierra Resort Casino opened doors free of cover charge Monday night.

Gearing up for Pyramid Lake

On Monday morning, hundreds arrived to the smoke shop on Nevada 447 in Wadsworth. They weren't buying food, water, booze or camping gear — they came prepared with all that.

"We're buying permits," said a Londoner who described himself as "Max."

Clerks at the Wadsworth smoke shop had no idea how many permits had been sold Monday, only saying they were "overwhelmed" and did not have time to talk.

"We're going to make good of a bad situation," said Shaft Uddin, also of London, attending his second Burning Man. "I hear Pyramid Lake is beautiful and apparently there is going to be a big party there and potentially a massive orgy."

By 2 p.m. Monday, yellow Volkswagen buses, countless recreation vehicles and at least one school bus painted to look like a cheetah with whiskers on the hood packed Block House beach at Pyramid Lake.

Close to a dozen of those first arrivals took off their clothes and entered the lake. Within an hour, a park ranger drove up and asked them to put their clothes back on.

"How can you not know that it is not OK to be naked in public?" the ranger asked.

The ranger then asked an Israeli man named Otto to leave.

"They told me to leave," a then-clothed Otto said. "I said, 'I'm sorry' and he told me I could stay."

The ranger, who asked not to be named, said they are used to a large volume of people arriving at Pyramid Lake. He said Burners arrive to Pyramid Lake before and after the event each year.

Pyramid Lake Tribal Council Chairman Elwood Lowery was not available for comment Monday. A representative of his office said there had been a "giant influx" of people buying permits. The representative said Monday afternoon that two smoke shops — the one in Wadsworth and another in Nixon — would remain open all night for people to buy permits.

They said there was not a limit on vehicle permits, which cost $10 each. While Block House was packed, some beaches received little traffic, as of Monday afternoon.

Omar Albudci, of Brooklyn, exited the smoke shop in Wadsworth with a permit — and $125 in fireworks.

"I didn't know Reno was so cool and lax about setting off fireworks because in New York you certainly can't have them," Albudci said.

When told he was on an Indian Reservation, not in Reno, Albudci said, "Oh, awesome. We'll respect the land, respect the fire and create some magic in the sky."

5 p.m.

An unusual rainstorm in the desert north of Reno, Nev. has shut the main entrance to Burning Man, disappointing thousands of would-be attendees to this performance-art festival and rave.

Monday showers turned the Black Rock Desert into "mucky mud," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez said. Law enforcement officials were turning back a long line of cars and camping vans.

"With rain attached to (playa dust), people get stuck everywhere," Lopez said.

Hundreds of people had already entered the annual counterculture event outside Gerlach, Nev. , which runs all week. Those who were setting up camp and performance venues were advised to avoid driving and riding ubiquitous 'Burner' bicycles, which were also likely to get stuck in the mud.

Some who were turned away drove to nearby Pyramid Lake. "We're going to make the best of the situation," Charlie Lucas, of Portland, Ore., said.

People were in party mode -- even if the party was off limits for a while.

"I hear Pyramid Lake is beautiful," said Shaft Uddin, a visitor from London sporting a waxed mustache, glitter and a Unicorn Warriors teeshirt. "Apparently there is going to be a big party there and potentially a massive orgy," he joked.

Burning Man's official Twitter account early Monday advised people headed to the dried-out lake, known to attendees as "la playa", to stay in Reno. The main entrance has been closed through Monday night and into midday Tuesday, as meteorologists forecast more storms later Monday.

Traffic was being turned back to Wadsworth, Nevada.

At nearby Pyramid Lake, yellow Volkswagen buses, countless recreation vehicles and at least one school bus painted to look like a cheetah with whiskers on the hood began packing campsites along the lake.

Close to a dozen of those first arrivals took off their clothes and entered the lake. Within an hour, a park ranger asked them to put their clothes back on. "How can you not know that it is not OK to be naked in public?" the ranger asked.

Reno hotel-casinos were advertising room specials for those turned away.

3:20 p.m. update:

Black Rock City is closed until midday Tuesday due to rain and standing water, Burning Man organizers report.

Burning Man has requested law enforcement to turn back vehicles.

2 p.m. update: Few got too upset at their sandy beach away from Black Rock City.

"We're going to make the best of the situation," Charlie Lucas, of Portland, Ore., said.

Monday showers turned the Black Rock Desert into "mucky mud," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez said, and thousands rerouted from the annual counterculture event outside Gerlach as organizers feared cars getting stuck.

"With rain attached to (playa dust), people get stuck everywhere," Lopez said.

Hundreds who entered the Black Rock Desert were told to stay Monday. Many who didn't make it through the gates drove to Pyramid Lake.

On Monday morning, hundreds were seen outside a smoke shop just off Interstate 80 in Wadsworth. They weren't buying food, water, booze or camping gear — they came prepared with all that.

"We're buying permits," one man who described himself as "Max" said.

Clerks at the Wadsworth smoke shop had no idea how many permits had been sold Monday, only saying they were "overwhelmed" and did not have time to talk.

"We're going to make good of a bad situation," Shaft Uddin, of London, said. "I hear Pyramid Lake is beautiful and apparently there is going to be a big party there and potentially a massive orgy."

By 2 p.m. Monday, yellow Volkswagen buses, countless recreation vehicles and at least one school bus painted to look like a cheetah with whiskers on the hood began packing campsites along the lake.

Close to a dozen of those first arrivals took off their clothes and entered the lake. Within an hour, a park ranger asked them to put their clothes back on. "How can you not know that it is not OK to be naked in public?" the ranger asked.

The ranger then asked an Israeli man named Otto to leave.

"They told me to leave," a then-clothed Otto said. "I said, 'I'm sorry' and he told me I could stay."

LIVE FROM THE PLAYA: See Twitter updates from Black Rock City

The ranger, who asked not to be named, said they are used to this volume of people arriving at Pyramid Lake during Burning Man. He said Burners arrive to Pyramid Lake before and after the event.

When asked if they had ever arrived in these types of numbers he said, "Yes" moments before driving off to the next campsite

12:15 p.m. update:RGJ Burning Man reporter Katrina Raenell is one of the participants who arrived at the festival prior to this morning's rain storm.

"Thunderstorms rolled through the playa around 6 a.m. and rain continued for several hours," she said. "There was a slight break in the weather, but now it's starting again.

"The playa is mud, making it impossible to bike in and very difficult to walk in," she said.

11:45 a.m. update: Weather appears calm right now at Burning Man but there's a chance for more rain, National Weather Service meteorologist Shane Snyder said.

"There's going to be a few thunderstorms this afternoon," Snyder said.

The weather service has no rain gauges on the playa, but radar allows them to make estimates of how much rain has fallen.

"Some of the radar estimates from earlier today were more than a tenth of an inch," Snyder said.

That much could fall again this afternoon.

11:05 a.m. update: Rain has closed the gates to Burning Man and they will continue to be closed through the evening, event organizers have said in a tweet.

While at least hundreds entered the gates of the annual counterculture event on Sunday and before rains poured through today, it's estimated that thousands are on the outside looking in because of the dangers wet playa poses to vehicles, even bicycles.

"Playa out there is mucky, muddy stuff. With rain attached to it, people get stuck everywhere," Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Dan Lopez said. Burning Man's traffic twitter account says the gates will be closed through tonight and possibly tomorrow morning.

Mike Wilke, a dispatcher for the BLM stationed near Black Rock City, described the playa Monday morning.

"It's pretty wet, standing water," he said. "I don't think anybody is able to drive."

According to the burning blog, rain is rare on the playa, but has happened. One incident last year halted work crews preparing for the event.

The blog, written following the 2013 rain storm, gives a list of things not to do when it rains on the playa:

Remain where you are.

DO NOT DRIVE your vehicle. You will become stuck and tear up the playa surface.

Do not ride your bike, carry it; playa mud clogs wheels and gears in just a few feet.

Relax and wait until conditions change.

Bring an extensive first aid kit.

Link to info on rain on playa: http://blog.burningman.com/2013/08/building-brc/and-then-the-rain-came/

10:55 a.m. update: Reno Gazette-Journal videographer Liz Margerum is stuck in traffic about three miles away from the Burning Man gate. She said an official for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management told her that everyone in line must return to Reno.

"Both sides of the road are like a parking lot," Margerum said.

Matt Woodhill from San Francisco said, "It's a great opportunity to be with adversity. And I think it will bring us all closer together once we get in and get over our angst. We have no idea where to go. It would be good info. We have good friends and hope to meet up with them safe."

10:53 a.m. update: Burning Man has announced that Burning Man has been closed through tonight and possibly into Tuesday morning. Traffic is being turned back at Wadsworth.

Black Rock radio report they expect to lose power and will stop broadcasting.

Earlier story:

It's raining on the Black Rock Desert and Burning Man has asked people to stop driving out to the playa.

"Rain continuing. Please do not come to Burning Man until you hear otherwise from official channels," Burning Man announced in one Tweet.

"Gate Road unlikely to open anytime in the next 4 hours. Stay in Reno please," the counter-culture festival said in another Tweet just before 8 a.m.

There have been some minor thunderstorms in the area with an increased chance of storms later in the day, National Weather Service meteorologist Shane Snyder said.

"There are no intense thunderstorms yet, but they seem to be increasing," Snyder said. "Things are starting to pop up as the day goes along."

The thunderstorms looming today are what Snyder called "garden-variety type thunderstorms."

The good news is that after today, Burning Man looks dry for the rest of the week.

"The rain is done, but we could have some winds kick up towards Saturday," Snyder said.