![]() ![]() ![]() It’s impossible to pinpoint which raindrop fell naturally and which one fell due to the silver iodide.Ī plume of smoke containing silver iodide emerges from a flare at a cloud seeding station in Arroyo Grande. Most of the time, it’s already raining when the flares go off. That’s because cloud seeding occurs when there’s already a storm in the forecast. “You don't see anything obvious, so you do your best to try to pick the right conditions, but it's not like you see anything obvious happening,” says Yorty. He hopes the silver iodide will induce greater rainfall into the Lopez Lake watershed. The compound helps bind cloud droplets together, making them heavier and more likely to drop.įrom his computer at his office near Salt Lake City, meteorologist David Yorty ignites a flare 800 miles away in Arroyo Grande. Meteorologists at North American Weather Consultants (NAWC) determine when to set off the flares of silver iodide. Two silver towers overlook the city, with poles sticking out of them like branches on a Christmas tree. Each flare burns for roughly five minutes each. Meteorologists with North American Weather Consultants typically set off several flares during optimal cloud seeding weather conditions. “Here we are, a satellite-based, solar-powered cloud seeding station, operated remotely. “Let me catch my breath,” says Shane Taylor, the utilities manager for the city of Arroyo Grande, as he unlocks a gate, shoos some cows away, and trudges up a muddy hill to show off one of the cloud seeding sites on a rainy day. A 2020 study published by the National Academy of Sciences found that under the right conditions (meaning the temperature is low and the winds are moving toward watersheds), cloud seeding can squeeze 3-5% more rain out of clouds. ![]() It’s a weather modification technique that uses silver iodide to bond cloud droplets together to form ice crystals, which grow into snowflakes and fall as either snow or rain, depending on the elevation.Ĭloud seeding has been around for decades, but has grown in popularity in recent years as studies prove its relative success. That’s why water agencies in Southern California and beyond are trying to squeeze a bit more water out of the storms that come this winter using a method called cloud seeding. "While the strength of an El Niño event sometimes it's not as good an indicator to tell us how dry Australia will be.Despite a rush of rain and snow heading into 2022, 85% of California remains in severely dry conditions, according to the U.S. "A large La Niña event is generally linked to a larger Australian rainfall response. Generally, stronger La Niñas bring wetter weather to eastern Australia.Īccording to Dr Taschetto, the relationship between La Niña and rain in eastern Australia is actually stronger than with El Niño. "But as a La Niña is basically a strengthening of the normal conditions it's slightly harder to predict the termination." Is there a difference within La Niñas? "With El Niño, because there is a reversal or weakening of the cycle when it gets closer to our monsoon season, what we see is a reversal of the winds and that can help to reverse the anomalies. "The reason for that is because the El Niño southern oscillation is an asymmetric phenomenon, meaning that El Niño and La Niña years are not exactly the mirror image of each other," she said. For example, she says predicting when a La Niña will end is more difficult than with an El Niño. There are some patterns, but even then there are quirks. Dr Taschetto points out that there are many factors that influence the onset and duration of El Niños and La Niñas.
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