WMOD00317 ‎(2)‎

• Title: A Comparison of the Potential of Cloud Seeding to Enhance Mountain Snowpack in Colorado During Dry, Normal and Wet Winters
• Date: 1/1/1983
• State: CO
• Weather Modification - Doc Type: Report

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response, Governor Larrm directl:<1 the developnent of a orougnt Response
Plan to specify tasks, organizational arrangements and operations of state
government under drought conditi.ons (Iarrrn, 1981).

'!he State Weather Modification Advisory Committee (composed 0,( Ll.'JE:
scientists and five ranchers and farmers) met in January 1981 to discuSS
the possible use of seeding if the drought persisted. The Committee i8~t
that Colorado stood the best chance of benefiting from wintel- cloud
seeding only if programs were well conceived, conducted on an ongulng
basis, and evaluated thoroughly. It did not favor hasty implenentaLioL _L
an emergency seeding program because of doubts about the effectiveness Jf
seeding during dry periods and the inability to evaluate short-term
programs adequately.

The Department of Natural Resources presented this view at a jOl.:1t
meeting of the state House and Senate Committees on AgriculturE: and
Natural Resources in late January. Thus, although the' drought lasted
until March on the plains and later in the mountains, the state did fice
fund a seeding program for drought relief in 1981. Ski areas, wate:r
users, local governments and businesses, however, did fund progrcillls HI tr..:,
southwestern San Juan and central mountain areas.

RESEAOCH APPROACH AND RESULTS

Data Availability and Limitations

Establishing a climatology of seedable storms requires not only
criteria for seedability but also a method to identify storms to wnich toe
criteria could be applied. Storms can be identified from pLecii?ita\:.~.;;:
data but these data are not often recorded in the remote areas or h~gh
altitude regions where most of the snow falls (Klazura, 1982). Currently,
therefore, the only practicable way to identify storms is from wee. r:~H.:.:.
balloon (rawinsonde) soundings.. These soundings provide vel tical ?ro;; ~le:;
of temperature, humidity, and 'vlind speed and direction. Alt,ough i-'iE:Y":dn

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