USDA-funded weather modification and local climate management study

16 May 2026 | ZEROGeoengineering.com | Review below, Weather Modification and Local Climate Management in the United States: A Review of Its Technological Evolution, Operations, Governance, and Local Implementation Challenges, discusses the “significant and growing interest” in weather modification in the United States. The paper outlines policies and governance issues, noting the importance of public acceptance for weather modification activities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an ICAMS weather research agency pursuant to the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act (Public Law No. 115-25, Title IV, sec. 402, 15 U.S.C. § 8542).

Wang, H.; Chen, Y. Weather Modification and Local Climate Management in the United States: A Review of Its Technological Evolution, Operations, Governance, and Local Implementation Challenges. Climate 2026, 14, 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/cli14020048

“Weather modification refers to the temporary local or regional alteration of weather conditions through human intervention.”

Figure 1 shows the number of weather modification project reports filed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by proposed project start year. Most of these reports were filed by western states.

Concerns and debates about weather modification programs focus on two aspects: potential environmental impacts and public health uncertainty.

Americans have practiced cloud seeding for over a century.

As discussed before, continued use of cloud seeding materials in the same geographical areas could affect biota living in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems [50].

This review is holistic in the sense that it integrates scientific research, policy debate, and community practice to shed light on strategies to adopt weather modification as a local climate management strategy.