“OUR VISIONFree exchange of accurate information regarding the efficacy, safety, methodology and cost-effectiveness of weather modification activities. "
News & Upcoming Events
Recent Industry News
KNOX News Radio: October 8, 2019
UND Aerospace Hall of Fame adds 4
Upcoming Association Meeting
April 14-17, 2020
Join us in Corpus Christi, TX April 14-17, 2020 at the Holiday Inn - Downtown for the Annual Weather Modification Association Conference.
More information will be posted to our Meetings page as details are set. See you there!
Photo courtesy of the City of Corpus Christi.
What is Cloud Seeding?
Weather Modification can be both planned, as is the case in cloud seeding, or inadvertent, for example, when pollution affects visibility. Planned (deliberate) weather modification is also commonly know as cloud seeding, cloud modification, or atmospheric water management.
Current Executive Officers
Frank McDonough
PRESIDENTFrank McDonough has been a research and operational meteorologist for the past 25 years. His primary research interests are mountain meteorology, winter storms, and the small-scale structures of subfreezing clouds and precipitation. Frank serves as the program manager for the cloud seeding team at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) and manages research and operational cloud seeding projects in the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. Prior to working at DRI, while at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), he worked on several aircraft icing research programs and co-developed the National Weather Service’s operational in-flight icing products.
Mark Schneider
PRESIDENT-ELECTMark Schneider is Chief Meteorologist for the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board and began working weather modification field programs in 1995. Throughout the years Mark has participated in summer cloud seeding programs in North Dakota and Oklahoma and winter operations in California. As a WMA Certified Manager, Mark was recently elected to the position of Certification Committee Chair and serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the North American Weather Modification Council.
Derek Blestrud
SECRETARYDerek Blestrud has been involved in weather modification since 2003 and is currently a Senior Atmospheric Scientist for the Idaho Power Company. His primary focus is on the research and operations of cloud seeding in southern Idaho. He was heavily involved in the success of the SNOWIE (Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds: the Idaho Experiment) research project. Derek has worked on cloud seeding projects in North Dakota, Wyoming, India, Alberta, and Idaho. He is currently serving as Past President for the North American Weather Modification Council.
Paul Kucera
PAST PRESIDENTDr. Paul Kucera has over 25 years of field experience in weather modification assessment and precipitation research. As a Project Scientist at University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, he has led airborne and ground research operations, radar networking, education and outreach, evaluation of experimental forecasts, and assessment of cloud seeding programs for multiple international clients. He currently is Chair of the CGMS International Precipitation Working Group and a member of the American Geophysical Union Committee on Precipitation.
Weather Modification Certified Operators & Managers
WMA Operator and Manager certifications are based on criteria that are intended to ensure the meteorological and technical understanding, as well as commitment to ethical principles, of those conducting and managing cloud seeding operations. These principles are outlined in the ASCE guidelines for weather modification. The utilization of certified operators and managers for seeding programs is of benefit to the public, both in helping to recognize and take advantage of seeding opportunities during storm events, as well as recognizing and responding to potentially hazardous situations where seeding may not be desirable. Certification is based on criteria that include education, experience in the field of weather modification, and in-depth knowledge of the corresponding meteorological processes.
Thank You Corporate Members
