# Manipulation of Weather **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945 "2004-03-01T17:55:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saluki\_fan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@saluki\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saluki_fan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/1 "2004-03-01T17:55:02Z")
Does our government really manipulate the weather around us? The reason I ask this, is because a very smart buddy of mine pointed out to me that just before our soldiers stormed into Baghdad the Iraqis were experiencing horrible sand storms that allowed us to go in under the radar, not that we couldn’t have anyway. Coinsidence? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/2 "2004-03-01T18:14:01Z")
Coincidence. We can’t really even predict weather patterns with any real long term accuracy. There are just too many variables involved. ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/3 "2004-03-01T18:19:45Z")
might it be possible that we didn’t have an exact attack time planned, and when the weather was in our favor with just PICKED that time to attack. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/4 "2004-03-01T18:27:09Z")
Yes. That also explains why opposing forces were constantly being hit by lightning, tornadoes, and hailstorms. Oh, wait, that’s right. That never happened. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/5 "2004-03-01T18:28:26Z")
[url=http://physicsweb.org/article/world/11/5/3Clouds can be seeded with small particles of _eg._ silver iodide in order to produce some rain where none would have fallen, or to clear fog. However, manipulation of macro scale weather systems such as sandstorms are only within reach of X-Men. ---
**Author:** ![SentientMeat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SentientMeat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SentientMeat)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/6 "2004-03-01T18:30:34Z")
Sorry! [Cloud-seeding link](http://physicsweb.org/article/world/11/5/3) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/7 "2004-03-01T23:15:37Z")
The sandstorms are an annual pattern. I vaguely remember news reports of the military grumbling about not getting the invasion underway before the sandstorm season. The sand is a deadly diet for helicopter engines and nearly everything mechanical. So, no, it wasn’t an advantage. If our folks had intended to mess with the weather for the war, they blew it. ---
**Author:** ![BaldTaco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/47e85d/32.png) [@BaldTaco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaldTaco)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2004, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manipulation-of-weather/231945/8 "2004-03-02T03:47:47Z")
To address the OP, The only credible reference I’ve heard to weather control is cloud seeding. > [@](#): > > The [Center for Aerosol and Cloud Chemistry](http://www.aerodyne.com/cacc/cacc.html) at ARI performs laboratory and field experiments to understand heterogeneous processes associated with aerosol and cloud particles in the atmosphere. … Government sponsors include: the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Office of Naval Research. I’ve also read that DARPA is involved, though I couldn’t find any credible links. (Many many strange links though.) And AskNott, > [@](#): > > The sand is a deadly diet for helicopter engines and nearly everything mechanical. True, but… > [@](#): > > So, no, it wasn’t an advantage [in Iraq]. False. While the sandstorms were an operational challenge, particularly with the Apaches, US forces were able to use the weather to their advantage. They had technology that let them “see” in the storm. While they were still somewhat disabled (some gadgets worked, some didn’t), the Iraqis were virtually blind, and totally immobile. The were caught completely offguard, if I remember correctly. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the cite I wanted, but I think I read this at [Strategy Page.com](http://www.strategypage.com)