On the Need to Evaluate Operational Weather Modification Projects

Abstract

Use Of weather modification by farm groups, state agencies, and power companies to perform operational projects continues to expand. Seven percent of the United States experienced cloud seeding during 1977. The major stakeholders?those paying, those performing the seeding, and the scientific community-have all converged on the need to evaluate operational projects. Major assessments of the national situation have recommended that carefully conducted operational projects can be a source of useful scientific information if designed, operated, and evaluated properly. A project has been launched to develop statistical-physical evaluation techniques for operational projects.