A different kind of Google Cloud: steam from data center fogs in local airport

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Google has a data center (several of them, actually) in The Dalles OR. The Dalles is a small city on the Columbia that has an airport across the river in Washington. Pilots there are complaining that the evaporative cooling from the data centers is causing low clouds to form that disrupt landing at that airport.

https://www.oregonlive.com/silicon-forest/2026/04/google-cloud-steam-from-data-centers-may-be-disrupting-aviation-along-columbia-river.html

2

Just another reason for communities to push back against data centers in their region.

3

Unintended consequences of AI. Who would have ever thought there would be?

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I betcha AI would have forseen that :thinking:

5

So, AI now controls the weather?

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Jeff Renard, the airport’s manager, said, “I’ve been advised not to talk about it.” He declined to say who gave him that advice.

“I liken it to global warming,” Renard added. “There’s no scientific proof of anything yet.”

All righty then.