Drought Affecting Cloud Seeding Program

The relentlessly sunny skies during this year’s drought has made it a difficult year for a Kansas program that seeds the clouds to try and bring rain.

In a normal year, the Western Kansas Weather Modification Program, runs from late April to mid-September. The program would seed clouds about 40 days during that period.

Walter Geiger, project director for the program, says workers have been able to seed clouds only 17 days this year.

The good news is the drought has helped the project’s finances, keeping it alive for another season. The project uses silver iodide, which has increased in price from $6,800 gallons for 20 gallons to $31,000.