Can we manufacture a snow day by seeding the clouds?
In short: Humans have long attempted to manipulate the weather, but does it actually work? While scientists have used techniques like cloud seeding for decades to increase snow packs and water supplies, the effectiveness of these interventions remains a subject of debate, with some studies finding little evidence of increased precipitation.
Scientific weather alteration entered its current phase in 1946, after Vincent J. conducted experiments. Schaefer and Irving Langmuir at General Electric Research Laboratories in Schenectady, N.Y. Their work demonstrated that supercooled clouds—those containing water droplets at temperatures below freezing—could be manipulated. Schaefer discovered that dropping dry ice pellets into these clouds caused water droplets to rapidly transform into ice crystals, which then grew and fell.
Beyond dry ice, another common method involves using silver iodide or lead iodide. When these substances are burned, they create a smoke of tiny particles that act as nuclei. In supercooled clouds below approximately −5° C, these particles allow water vapour to deposit onto the crystals, causing them to grow. These nuclei can be dispersed via airplanes, air currents, or even pyrotechnic devices like rockets.
Although used worldwide—notably through major initiatives in France, Australia, the former Soviet Union, and the United States—success remains uncertain. Despite the widespread use of these methods to bolster mountain snow packs or suppress large hailstones, some researchers argue there is little evidence to prove that the process actually increases overall precipitation.
Today, the practice remains a vital, if controversial, tool in the fight against megadroughts. In several Western states, silver iodide is released from towers on mountaintops to attempt to induce precipitation, a process that continues to be scrutinized by scientists looking for definitive proof of its efficacy.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Let it Snow! The First Direct Measure of Cloud Seeding | SciShow News
- Also: Cloud seeding | Weather Modification, Precipitation & Rainfall | Britannica
- Also: Eight States Are Seeding Clouds to Overcome Megadrought
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