Western ski resorts are so desperate for snow, they’re sending drones into clouds

Colorado and Utah hit historic lows

The Western United States is experiencing its worst snow drought ever recorded.

Colorado’s snowpack has dropped to the lowest level on record for this point in the season, and Utah may hit its lowest snowpack ever by February 1.

On January 4, 2026, snow cover across the region fell to the lowest in satellite records going back to 2001.

More than 80% of monitoring stations in six Western states now show snow drought conditions, and December 2025 was the warmest on record in Colorado, Utah, and several other states.

Warm weather turned snow to rain

Record warm temperatures are driving the crisis. In Colorado, December 2025 was nine degrees warmer than average, making it the warmest December since 1895.

That heat caused precipitation to fall as rain instead of snow.

In Utah, low and mid-elevation snowpack melted away, leaving only high mountain peaks with any snow at all.

The combination of dry conditions and unusual heat has created a double problem for water supplies across the region.

States expand cloud seeding programs

Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho have all turned to cloud seeding to boost snowfall.

Three years ago, Utah launched a tenfold increase in cloud seeding funding and committed at least $5 million per year to operations.

The state also spent another $12 million to upgrade and expand nearly 200 ground-based seeding machines. These programs aim to squeeze more snow from every passing storm system.

Silver iodide triggers snowflake formation

Cloud seeding works by releasing silver iodide particles into existing storm clouds. These tiny particles act as nuclei, giving ice crystals something to form around.

The ice crystals then grow into snowflakes and fall to the ground. But there is a catch: cloud seeding only works when moisture-filled clouds are already present.

The technology cannot create storms or make precipitation fall from clear skies.

California startup leads drone operations

Rainmaker Technology Corp. , a startup based in El Segundo, California, has emerged as a major player in cloud seeding.

The company was founded in 2023 and has raised more than $50 million from investors. Rainmaker now operates in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Texas, Colorado, and California.

Utah alone is paying the company $7.5 million in 2026 for cloud seeding services.

The company uses custom-built drones called Elijah to deliver the silver iodide.

Drones fly where pilots cannot

Drones offer several advantages over traditional seeding methods.

They can fly directly into clouds for more precise targeting, and they operate without human pilots, which cuts costs and reduces risk.

Most importantly, drones can work in weather conditions too dangerous for manned aircraft. Teams deploy in pickup trucks carrying two drones each during storms.

The drones seed clouds for about an hour, then swap out with backup drones while their batteries recharge.

Ski resorts struggle with thin snow

Ski resorts across the West are feeling the pain. Vail Resorts announced it would miss revenue projections due to subpar snowfall because limited snow reduced the company’s ability to open terrain.

Some resorts are fighting back with their own cloud seeding programs.

Winter Park Resort in Colorado uses cloud seeding to boost early-season snow, and the resort estimates the technology added 24 inches of powder in 2023. That equaled about 13% of what would have fallen naturally.

Snowpack feeds Western water supplies

The stakes go far beyond skiing. About 95% of Utah’s water supply comes from winter snowpack, which melts in spring and summer to feed rivers, reservoirs, and drinking water systems.

The Colorado River provides water to 40 million people across seven states, and Lake Powell may have only 57% of its normal water supply this spring.

Low snowpack adds pressure to already tense water negotiations among Western states.

Great Salt Lake crisis spurred action

The Great Salt Lake reached historic low levels in recent years, sitting at about 4,191 feet in late 2025, near crisis levels. Utah lawmakers approved aggressive cloud seeding funding partly to help refill the lake.

Cloud seeding efforts now target the Bear River Basin, the largest watershed feeding the Great Salt Lake. Officials hope increased snowpack will boost spring runoff and send more water flowing into the lake.

Scientists question large-scale results

Scientists remain divided on how well cloud seeding works. Statistical estimates suggest cloud seeding increases precipitation by 5 to 15 percent.

The 2017 SNOWIE study in Idaho provided the first clear evidence that cloud seeding works, when researchers generated snowfall from clouds that were not producing precipitation naturally.

However, many questions remain about effectiveness at large scales. Atmospheric scientist Katja Friedrich says the application is far ahead of the science.

Technology dates back to 1946

Cloud seeding has a long history. Scientists first demonstrated the technique in a lab in 1946, when General Electric researchers discovered silver iodide works well for ice formation.

The practice has been used in the United States since the 1940s, and Utah has been cloud seeding since the early 1950s.

Nine US states currently have active cloud seeding programs, though the technology has gained new attention as drought conditions worsen.

Forecasts show more dry weather ahead

February and March typically bring the most snow of the winter season. However, forecasts show continued warm and dry conditions for much of the region.

Even heavy late-season snowstorms may not make up for existing deficits.

States are expanding cloud seeding programs and upgrading equipment in response, but water conservation remains critical regardless of how much snow falls in the coming months.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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