Why isn't Cloud Seeding used in California to bring rain and avoid fires

[truedelphi]

First off, since Du has a lot of negativity lately - I am NOT suggesting that the fires in Southern California are THEIR fault.

I also live in California,and if my area had not gotten some wonderful rainstorms early in October, we could have been charred to the bone as well.

What I am asking is simple. I am no rocket scientist, but I have learned that there is a correlation between firestorms in California and the absence of rain. I lived across the Bay from Oakland when the fire happened there in the early 1990's. It rained two days later, and all I could think was, "Damn you, Rainstorm. Couldn't you have come two weeks ago!"(If you are not familiar with California weather - the state gets virtually NO rain from mid May till mid September, and sometimes much later than September.)

I never hear about Cloud Seeding, but why isn't it happening any more? I think they should Cloud seed California is early September and let the rain rip.

Or is there some health reason? One lady I know says the chemicals in the Cloud Seeding proved to be carcinogenic. Of course, the air that people in So California had to breathe after the fires was probably not too healthy. So I would say, I'll take the Cloud Seeding over the fires.

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. My understanding is that cloud seeding does not create rain, but

rather it encourages the rain to drop where you prefer it - to make it rain here and now, rather than tomorrow, 40 miles away. If the weather conditions are not conducive to rain to begin with, no amount of chemicals will create it. There must be a certain level of humidity to draw on, to make the rain particles form.

[pscot]

2. The fire danger is highest

when the Santa Ana winds are blowing. That's hot, dry, desert air. Probably not much moisture to extract.

[truedelphi]

3. I figured it's not a good time to wait till October and

Use a time when the Santa Ana's are raging.

But they had a bit of cloud and maybe rain in August or something?

Can we take advantage of any period of precipation (No matter how mild) and make it more intense?

[MethuenProgressive]

4. Because you need clouds, quite frankly.

And even when you do have clouds, you can only encourage the moisture already inside the cloud to condense.

[kestrel91316]

5. LOL. Cloud seeding requires, first of all, these things called "clouds".

And it requires that there be considerable moisture in the air.

If you know SoCal in the fall, you know that both are in mighty short supply, as in "nonexistent".

When the Malibu fire started, humidity was 3%. Yes, you heard that right. And the winds were 80 mph in a cloudless sky.

[truedelphi]

6. That's why I am asking - can we do Cloud Seeding - not at the time of the fires - but maybe in late

August or September when there is considerable clouds happening.

I remember that this year, maybe in late August or early September, the Southern Calif area was really cloudy. I was puzzled by it, because they were having Northern California weather while we here in No Calif were having hot temps and clear skies.

Could we have possibly gone ahead and taken a shot at Cloud Seeding then.

I am well aware that you cannot do this in the midst of the Santa Ana winds and weather. I have been in Southern California during a Santa Ana and am pretty aware of the fact that no clouds exist then, and humidity is almost at zero.