What Is Cloud Seeding and Does It Really Work?

In the middle of a summer drought, you may have wished you could figure out a way to make it rain. The idea of modifying weather may sound like something out of a science fiction novel but the practice has been around since 1946.

Cloud seeding is weather modification using small particles inserted into clouds. A common agent is silver iodide, which encourages ice crystal formation and increases the chances of rain or snow. The idea is to manipulate the weather to something more beneficial to the environment and the humans who live in it.

In 1946, Vincent Schaefer, Irving Langmuir and Bernard Vonnegut were trying to figure out how to de-ice aircrafts in General Electric Company’s research lab. Through their investigations, they found little particles could be sprinkled into clouds to form ice. They made a laboratory cloud in a freezer and added dry ice to create snow. 

Through various experiments, Vonnegut found silver iodide worked even better as a seeding agent. In 1947, they launched Project Cirrus by having a B17 bomber drop dry ice into a stratus cumulus cloud. They saw a pattern in the clouds proving ice was formed and deduced they could create precipitation. Weather modification practices have advanced since the early days. 

Reasons to Use Cloud Seeding

Although the initial uses for cloud seeding were mainly military based, such as providing cover for aircraft, the reasons for potentially using the practice today extend far beyond warfare. Cloud seeding can be used in a variety of ways. 

• To enhance winter snowfall in the mountains and add to the natural water supply as snow melts off in the summer
• Overcome megadroughts by increasing the chances of precipitation or heavier rainfall
• Learning to control dwindling water resources in some communities
• Suppressing large hail so it is smaller and does less damage to crops and property
• Ensuring steady rainfall during the growing season, creating better agricultural outcomes

Recent concerns over how much water artificial intelligence (AI) bots such as ChatGPT use have eco-conscious citizens thinking about how to combat the potential for droughts and other issues with waning fresh water sources in the future.

Does Cloud Seeding Really Work?

Cloud seeding happens in a couple of different ways. Particles can be introduced via aircraft or from ground-based generators that push the particles up into low-lying clouds. Most operations use silver iodide as their cloud seeding agent, something that hasn’t changed much from the original 1947 model. 

Another option involves hygroscopic seeding, where common table salt (sodium chloride) is placed into clouds and increases water vapor, creating larger drops of rain. Some cloud seeding experts are utilizing drones to take the seeding agents into the clouds more precisely.

For years, states have added silver iodide to clouds to increase snowfall and attempt to counteract the effects of a warmer climate affecting some areas. In Wyoming, scientists conducted a 10-year experiment that resulted in a 15% increase in snow during winter storms. The more scientists learn about weather alteration, the more impactful cloud seeding could become.

Successful Cloud Seeding

One example of successful cloud seeding is China’s use of it during the 2008 Winter Olympics to keep the skies clear. The government used the practice to break up clouds moving over the National Stadium and pushed them elsewhere to drop their water. 

Eight states in the US are using cloud seeding to try to manage drought. The cost runs around $1.5 million per year for a geographic area but the costs can be split across states. 

No Guarantees

Even though scientists have seen some success, cloud seeding is not yet predictable. It can result in precipitation but may not. Clouds might also release their moisture in a different place than intended or at a later time. Natural conditions can impact the effectiveness of seeding agents, including: 

• Local weather 
• Cloud types 
• Water vapor in the air

Skeptics of cloud seeding point out that rainfall might have occurred on its own. They say it’s hard to prove the process worked. 

Is Changing the Weather Ethical?

Many people have expressed concerns over messing with Mother Nature. They point to changing weather patterns as a concern. While there is no proof that cloud seeding results in significant flooding or damaging weather events, the topic hasn’t been studied fully. 

Some arguments include: 

• Cloud seeding interferes with nature, and that’s always a concern.
• No one knows the long-term impact of putting chemicals into the air. 
• Will rain grabbed from one region mean another area doesn’t get the same rainfall?
• How can heavy use of cloud seeding impact weather patterns?

Since the issues haven’t been fully studied, it’s impossible for scientists to address the critics with any certainty. The use of seeding may not show its long-term impact for many years. 

Weather in the Future

With more accurate targeting through a combination of AI and drones, cloud seeding could potentially become much more effective in the coming years. Critics warn that trying to manipulate the weather could lead to water wars in the future, as regions seek to gain more of the precious resource than there is to go around. 

While myths about cloud seeding causing extreme weather and flooding around the world exist, there is no scientific evidence the practice has had any negative effect on areas. Could it have detrimental effects with increased usage? There is only one way to find out.

Does It Work or Not?

The answer isn’t a simple yes or no. Cloud seeding does seem to increase the amount of rainfall or snow and have some success. At other times, the shape of the cloud or other atmospheric conditions result in little impact. One thing is certain, though, it will be interesting to see where technology takes the science in the next few years and if AI can accurately predict the best type of cloud, placement and timing to change things around for areas suffering from drought.