# "Salting" the Clouds: Two ways; two results? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784 "2004-06-23T12:08:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/1 "2004-06-23T12:08:59Z")
My husband and I were discussing Paul McCartney’s request to salt the clouds so it won’t rain on his Russian concert (pompous fuck that he is…). Mr. K said he’d never heard of salting them to STOP the rain; he heard that people had tried it years ago to make rain in dry regions. I told him the Russkies have been doing it for decades to ensure good weather for their May Day celebration. So…are there two ways to manipulate the weather? What do they use for each result? Does either technique work? ---
**Author:** ![Aagramn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Aagramn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aagramn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/2 "2004-06-23T12:52:02Z")
The cloud seeding technique only encourages it to rain. However, to ensure it stays dry over the desired region, they seed the cloud well before it reaches there. Much of the water is knocked out of the cloud, so by the time it reaches Paul McCartney there is no longer enough moisture in the air for raindrops to condense. With you on the ‘pompous’ bit. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/3 "2004-06-23T12:56:49Z")
> [@Aagramn](#): > > The cloud seeding technique only encourages it to rain. However, to ensure it stays dry over the desired region, they seed the cloud well before it reaches there. Much of the water is knocked out of the cloud, so by the time it reaches Paul McCartney there is no longer enough moisture in the air for raindrops to condense. > > With you on the ‘pompous’ bit. Wow…check out the big brain on Aagramn! Thanks! I will have to eat semi crow, but my concept was correct! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/4 "2004-06-23T22:47:17Z")
It was my understanding, although there is a lot of _claimed_ success in cloud seeding, that there was no hard evithat it actually works; chiefly because setting up a controlled study is difficult. Does anyone have any actual scientific data on the validity/effectiveness of cloud seeding? ---
**Author:** ![mmmiiikkkeee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/edb3f5/32.png) [@mmmiiikkkeee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mmmiiikkkeee)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2004, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/5 "2004-06-23T22:55:34Z")
No actual data, but in the area of Alberta where my grandparents homesteaded, when cloud seeding started happening dcades ago, they ended up with hail all the time, whereas they practically never had before - in that location. Could be coincidence or an effect. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/6 "2004-06-24T14:02:45Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It was my understanding, although there is a lot of _claimed_ success in cloud seeding, that there was no hard evithat it actually works; chiefly because setting up a controlled study is difficult. Does anyone have any actual scientific data on the validity/effectiveness of cloud seeding? My husband said he heard the same thing. But the Russians still do it every year, as far as I know. Maybe just a goodwill gesture? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salting-the-clouds-two-ways-two-results/251784/7 "2004-06-24T21:22:21Z")
Maybe he doesn’t want his fans to get rained on? That’s not so pompous.