Weather in desert Nevada should cooperate with ‘invaders’ plotting to storm Area 51
The summer heat in Rachel, Nevada, and the surrounding area should not be underestimated. With temperatures above 100 degrees, the internet meme to invade the nearby Air Force base will surely face some difficulty.
For those determined to “see them aliens” by storming Area 51 this weekend, unseasonably comfortable weather may be of aid.
While the vast majority of the 2.1 million members in the Facebook group “Storm Area 51, They Can’t Stop All of Us” won’t actually be showing up to the top-secret U.S. Air Force base this weekend, the few that have already visited to get a sneak peek were greeted with quick arrests and unbearably hot weather. Dutch YouTubers Ties Granzier and Govert Sweep were arrested for trespassing at the base last Tuesday, according to The Las Vegas Journal Review.
Area 51 is located near the small desert town of Rachel, Nevada, which regularly sees temperatures top 100 F in September. For raiders looking to ‘Naruto run’ in order to “move faster than their bullets” as the tongue-in-cheek Facebook page description details, those type of temperatures would make such a mission far more difficult.
“It’s an area so remote, it might as well be another planet,” National Reporter Jonathan Petramala said in a segment for the AccuWeather TV network. “If there are aliens here, hopefully they’re from a planet closer to the sun, because the temperatures here are extreme — in the summertime, easily reaching triple digits. In the wintertime, lows [dip] into the 20s.”
However, the weather may favor the stormers this weekend. As unseasonably chilly, fall-like air settles into areas of the western United States this week, the region surrounding Area 51 will experience cooler-than-normal conditions.
According to the Facebook page promoting the invasion, the raid has been set for Sept. 20.
“By the second week in September, average high temperatures decrease as the sun angle becomes lower and there are fewer daylight hours,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. “A series of storm systems tracking into the western U.S. this week will continue the trend of below-average temperatures as well as gusty winds at times.”
Those who show up to storm Area 51 won’t be the only ones to benefit from the friendly temperatures. Businesses and event organizers have worked to capitalize on the potential traffic that the event could bring.
The Downtown Las Vegas Events Center and the CollectiveZoo collaborated with Bud Light to host a celebration event for those going to the raid.
“The time has come to sit back, share a beer, and talk all things aliens,” the event website wrote. “Come in peace, we have everything you need to make this celebration a blowout, including a classified lineup of music artists specially curated by Collective Zoo.”
Most years, average temperatures certainly wouldn’t favor a mass gathering of festivalgoers. According to Buckingham, even as the recent weather has trended cooler-than-normal, the forecast high temperatures would still make visitors uncomfortable.
“The Las Vegas area still averages highs in the mid-90s over the second week of September,” Buckingham said. “Farther north, Reno typically averages temperatures in the low to mid-80s during the timeframe. Farther east in the center of the state, Elko, Nevada, typically sees an afternoon high temperature right around 80 degrees.”
In Rachel, a music festival dubbed “AlienStock” was once in the works. However, event planner Matty Roberts pulled out of the proceedings due to a lack of necessary planning. In August, Roberts appeared on CNN to advocate against the actual storming of Area 51. Rather, he said he just wanted a “gathering of all these weirdos in the desert.”
“Due to the lack of infrastructure, poor planning, risk management and blatant disregard for the safety of the expected 10,000+ AlienStock attendees, we decided to pull the plug on the festival,” A post on the AlienStock website stated. “We are not interested in, nor will we tolerate any involvement in a FYREFEST 2.0.”
While interest in the event has greatly waned since the Facebook group gained worldwide attention earlier in the summer, the recent news of the arrests has brought the attention and memes back into the limelight.
George Harris, owner of the Alien Research Center, which touts being “the gateway to Area 51,” told Petramala that safety is paramount as people converge on the unforgiving landscape of Nevada.
“We’re going to get a lot of people up here, we know that. But the number one thing and the most important thing is safety,” Harris said.
“More people will get bit by snakes than the Air Force arresting them or the sheriff arresting them, so they got to really be cognizant and really think about what they’re doing,” he added.
For any visitors who may find themselves in the area this weekend, helpful weather conditions may make for a pleasant visit as long as people obey the trespassing signs.
“This weekend looks to bring along a return of moderating temperatures and a lower fire threat statewide as no major storm systems are forecast to impact the state,” Buckingham said. “This will keep temperatures at or a touch above seasonable levels and should minimize the threat of gusty winds in most locales.”
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