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I i I I I I I I I I J I I I I I I I I FOREWORD The Western Kansas Weather Modification Program (WKYIMP) recently finished its 20th consecutive season of hail suppression and rainfall stimulation operations. This is the third year in which the target area was composed of the same 12 counties which originally came together to make this program possible when it began in 1975. Ford County, which was also a participant this year and finished its 18th consecutive season, was not one of the original counties. This year an overdue economic evaluation of the \-II<WMI' was performed for the 15-season period 1979-93. This was the first time an outside group had attempted such an analysis. The results were encouraging, but mixed. The Kansas ,Water Office used a Double Ratio test to compare "target" and "control" area differences. Using as a target area only those 6 counties continuously participating in the ~NMP over the 15-season period, they found a 27% decrease in hail when compared to an 8-county area in Northwest Kansas. In considering only reduced crop losses, the average yearly benefit to this 6-county area was found to be $4 million with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 37 to 1. A slight decrease in average rainfall was found for that same period; h~Never, there were many other complex factors affecting whether or not a simple increase in rainfall at all times would be beneficial and it was judged not to be of practical economic significance. These results make it possible far State matching funds to be made available next summer pending budget approval by both the Governor and the Legislature. This report summarizes the operational activities of the 1994 W~1 Program season, updates some previous summaries and revises any errors found in previous reports. Also shown are analyses of the crop hail damage insurance claims, growing season regional rainfall data supplied to us by both volunteer observers in and around the ~~ target area and obtained from first and second- order National Weather Service stations. Finally, this report was shortened from its original format due to a computer mal function at a crucial time late in its preparation. The computer malfunction would not allow us to read hail and rainfall data, or anything else for that matter and we had to send it off to the factory for repair. With a deadline rapidly approaching, some items of interest had to be eliminated, notably, target area rainfall analyses. We regret this and in the future we'll try to eliminate such problems from occurring.