ARB News and Information

Content From ARB

Notice of Intention to Modify Natural Precipitation

The ARB has requested publishing of the legal notice below regarding the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project in the official county newspapers of the NDCMP target area and adjacent counties. The counties included in the notice are Adams, Billings, Bowman, Dunn, Golden Valley, Hettinger, McKenzie, Mountrail, Slope, and Williams. The last publishing date by these newspapers is expected to be Saturday, March 22, 2025. Therefore, the 20-day comment period will end on April 11, 2025.

Notice is given, that Weather Modification, LLC of 3802 20th Street North, Fargo, ND, a licensee (License No. 2025-1) of the State of North Dakota, is to engage in operations to modify precipitation by the addition of ice nucleating agents in the counties of Bowman and McKenzie, and seven townships in Slope County. Existing clouds will be selected for seeding according to current operational procedures for enhancing rainfall and decreasing hail damage. Ice nuclei will be generated by silver iodide produced in the combustion of flares or liquid solutions, and the use of dry ice pellets. Twin-engine aircraft equipped for instrument flight, operating under FAA airworthiness certificates and licensed by the North Dakota Aeronautics Commission will accomplish all seeding.

The southern target area will be Bowman County and the following townships in Slope County: Connor, Hume, Carroll, Cash, Sheets, Mineral Springs, and Cedar Creek. The operations area will include the target area and Woodberry township in Slope County, with no external buffer zones in adjacent North Dakota counties. The northern target area will be McKenzie County. The operations area will include the target area, with no external buffer zones in adjacent North Dakota counties. Seeding operations in the buffer zone are for cloud systems that may affect the target area. No effect is intended for the buffer zone. Operations will be conducted as weather conditions allow from June 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025, with the possibility of extension through October 2, 2025.

All persons who would like to comment in support or opposition of the activities of this project should write the Director, North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board, 1200 Memorial Highway, Bismarck, ND 58504-5262 or email dlangerud@nd.gov. Comments must be received within 20 days of the last date of publication of this notice.

The Atmospheric Resource Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services, and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.

March 10, 2025

The Atmospheric Reservoir

Current Issue of The Atmospheric Reservoir
Current Issue of The Atmospheric Reservoir

The Atmospheric Resource Board contributes a one-page article to a magazine titled North Dakota Water, published by the North Dakota Water Education Foundation. The ARB's page is called The Atmospheric Reservoir and is designed to examine the atmosphere and atmospheric resource management. The magazine is published monthly, excluding February and August. Past articles are found here in downloadable PDF format.


NDCMP Operation Summaries

Weekly summaries of cloud seeding operations during the NDCMP, typically June through August of each year.


Content From Others

NOAA Issues Fact Check

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has issued a Fact Check document, debunking weather modification claims that have been circulating recently. Check it out!

 

Meet The Midwestern Pilots Who Risk Their Lives To Change The Weather - By Justin Nobel. The story focuses on weather modification activities in western North Dakota. Mr. Nobel visited North Dakota in June 2015. His visit included a trip to Bowman and Fargo, ND.

Cloud seeding helps area farmers - By Nick Smith, Williston Herald. Discusses the economic benefits of the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project.

Weather Modders Aim to End Droughts With Efficiency by Sky, By Elizabeth Svoboda - In April 2008, Popular Mechanics published a story by Elizabeth Svoboda entitled 'Weather Modders Aim to End Droughts With Efficiency by Sky'. Ms. Svoboda visited North Dakota in August 2007 to learn about the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project. Her account details a flight through cloud types that are typically seeded and interviews with Darin Langerud, Director of the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board and Hans Ahlness and Bruce Boe with Weather Modification, Inc.

"Growing rain clouds" by Matt Bewley, Agweek (74 kb) - Matt Bewley, Agweek staff writer, interviewed Darin Langerud, Director of the ND Atmospheric Resource Board, regarding the North Dakota Cloud Modification Project. The article discusses early cloud seeding in North Dakota, current cloud seeding methodology, and the resulting reduction in crop hail losses in the target areas. The article also mentions programs in other western states.