PHOENIX — Arizona has been in a drought for 30 years.
Experts don't predict that will change anytime soon, but researchers said a decades-old technology could improve conditions.
“Sometimes the clouds aren’t the most efficient at producing precipitation or snowfall," James Walter, the Manager of Water Measurement at Salt River Project (SRP) said.
What is cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding is a weather modification that improves the ability of a cloud to produce rain or snow, according to the Desert Research Institute (DRI).
Arizona State Climatologist Erinanne Saffell said to understand cloud seeding, one must first understand how precipitation works.
“The normal, natural process in the atmosphere to get precipitation, to get rain and snow, you’ve got to get those droplets bigger so that they fall down under the force of gravity," Saffell said.
Sometimes nature can't make the droplets big enough on its own.
Scientists discovered when a storm system is moving through, a compound called silver iodide can help nature along.
“What that does is it draws more moisture and makes those droplets a little bit bigger so they’ll fall down under the force of gravity.”
Cloud seeding is not conducted in Arizona
Like any perfect storm, a number of factors must first fall into place for cloud seeding to exist.
“You’re kind of limited to kind of high elevation areas where you have mountain barriers, so the geography is right, the elevation is right and then you have frequent winter storms that have the clouds that are favorable for cloud seeding," Walter said.
Walter told 12News there aren't many places in Arizona that fit that mold.
With DRI, SRP found the White Mountains of Arizona could be an ideal location for cloud seeding in the future.
“The past winter storms that we analyzed, 80 percent of them had conditions that were favorable for cloud seeding," Walter said.
Cloud seeding typically increases snowfall by about 10 percent. The snowfall turns into a snowpack that melts into runoff and fills rivers and reservoirs. All of which benefit the surrounding region.
“There have been some wonderful studies recently out of Wyoming and Idaho that have been giving some pretty definitive proof that the technology and the science work," Walter said.
Saffell said there's still more to learn about this emerging science.
“There’s a lot of things that we don’t understand about cloud seeding," Saffell said. "We’re putting the ingredients together in the atmosphere to try and get precipitation but there’s no guarantee if that’s going to happen," Saffell said.
Researchers are hopeful cloud seeding could one day lead Arizona in a wetter direction.
“It’s not on the table at the moment but for sure this study is definitely positive for the area we live in," Walter said.
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