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Making snow the modern way

Brief by Allen Best

Climate – July 2003 – Colorado Central Magazine

Livestock growers, water districts, and others in the Gunnison area have found religion.

After last year’s drought, they invested $75,000 in a cloud-seeding operation for this past winter. Whether by coincidence or by cause-effect, this past winter produced at least so-so snowstorms. Based on that turnaround, the various organizations are now planning on a bigger, better cloud-seeding operation.

Next winter, North American Weather Consultants intends to use up to 28 ground generators, compared to the 18 of last winter. The generators disperse silver iodide into the wind and hence to the moisture-laden clouds. Presumably still coming is evidence that cloud seeding actually works. A report is scheduled for July.

A competitor, Western Weather Consultants of Durango, has taken credit for 10 to 15% of last winter’s increased snowpack between Salida and Winter Park.

Perhaps they should tag their silver-iodide particles so we know which companies are producing snow, and which ones produce snow jobs.