Western states are spending millions to squeeze extra snow from clouds

Nine states now seed clouds

Nine Western states now run cloud seeding programs as drought pushes them to try new ways to boost water supplies.

Cloud seeding cannot create storms out of thin air, but it can squeeze more snow from storms that already exist. States, utilities, and ski resorts are all putting money into the technology.

Interest has grown sharply as snowpack declines across the Mountain West, threatening the water supplies that millions of people depend on.

How cloud seeding works

Cloud seeding starts with silver iodide, a compound that has a crystal structure nearly identical to ice. Crews release tiny particles of silver iodide into cold clouds that already hold moisture.

The particles act as small platforms where ice crystals can form and grow. Once the crystals become heavy enough, they fall as snowflakes.

The process only works when clouds are cold enough and contain enough moisture to begin with.

Ground generators and drones deliver particles

Ground-based generators burn silver iodide in a propane flame, and wind carries the particles up into passing storm clouds. Drones offer another option because they can fly directly into clouds for more precise delivery.

Aircraft have also released silver iodide flares over target areas.

Meteorologists watch the weather around the clock so they can time the seeding to catch the best conditions during each storm.

Utah runs the world’s largest program

Utah operates 190 remote-controlled cloud seeding generators, making it the largest operation of its kind anywhere in the world.

The state increased its cloud seeding budget from $200,000 to nearly $16 million because snowpack provides 95 percent of Utah’s water supply. Officials report an average 10.4 percent increase in snowpack from seeding efforts.

Idaho recently invested $1 million in Utah’s Bear River seeding program to boost water in that shared watershed.

SNOWSCAPE 2026 aims to measure results

Utah launched SNOWSCAPE 2026 this winter, its largest cloud seeding research effort yet.

The program partners with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and researchers from the University of Utah and Utah State University are also involved.

Teams will use mobile radar and other instruments to collect data during storms. The goal is to measure exactly how much extra snow actually falls from seeding.

Arizona considers funding cloud seeding

Arizona House Bill 2024 would allow the state to spend money on cloud seeding for the first time. The bill passed out of committee on January 13, 2026, with a bare majority vote.

Rep. Gail Griffin sponsored the bill to help boost rural water supplies in a state hit hard by drought.

Arizona currently has no active cloud seeding operations. Some lawmakers have raised safety concerns about whether the technology really works.

Ski resorts use seeding for powder

Winter Park Resort in Colorado uses cloud seeding to increase snowfall on its slopes.

The resort says seeding helped produce 12 inches of snow during a late December storm, which matters because only 10 percent of Winter Park’s terrain has snowmaking equipment.

Breckenridge, Keystone, and other Colorado resorts also support seeding programs in their areas. Ski resorts see cloud seeding as much cheaper than traditional snowmaking machines.

The SNOWIE project proved it can work

The SNOWIE research project ran in Idaho during winter 2017 and gave scientists the clearest proof that cloud seeding actually works.

Researchers flew aircraft through clouds and released silver iodide while radar tracked the results. The snowfall that hit the ground matched the flight pattern exactly.

Scientists called it the first clear evidence that seeding boosts precipitation, and they published the study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

How much extra snow falls?

Studies suggest cloud seeding increases precipitation by 5 to 15 percent, though results vary widely depending on weather conditions during each storm.

A 2024 government report found increases ranging from zero to 20 percent across different programs. Long-term seeding efforts can add billions of gallons to water supplies over time.

Even small percentage gains add up when spread across a full winter season of storms.

Scientists say more research is needed

Some researchers question whether cloud seeding works as well as states claim.

Measuring results in real storms is difficult because natural weather patterns change constantly. That variability makes it hard to isolate the effects of seeding from what would have fallen anyway.

University of Colorado researcher Katja Friedrich says, “Application is ahead of the science.” States are investing in new studies to gather better data.

Silver iodide appears safe at current levels

Studies have found no environmental or health concerns from silver iodide at the levels used in cloud seeding. The compound does not dissolve in water and stays chemically stable in the environment.

Concentrations in seeded areas are similar to those in unseeded areas because crews spread very small amounts over large regions.

Some critics still raise questions about whether the silver could accumulate over many years of seeding.

Seeding is one tool, not a cure

Cloud seeding cannot end a drought or replace water conservation efforts.

The technology requires existing storms with cold, moist clouds, so dry winters mean fewer chances to seed. Water managers see seeding as just one part of a broader strategy to stretch limited supplies.

States continue to expand their programs anyway because drought conditions show no sign of letting up across the West.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

Read more from this brand:

• Western ski resorts are so desperate for snow, they’re sending drones into clouds
• Mountains that supply water for 40 million Americans are running out of snow
• California Is Drought-Free for the First Time in 25 Years