"The mountaintops rumble to life unnaturally each year as snow clouds darken the sky across the West.

Open flames burst from the throats of metal chimneys, mounted on squat towers nestled among the peaks. With a low hiss, puffs of particles belch from their mouths into the air, where the wind catches them and whisks them away.

These aren't ordinary particles. They're tiny bits of crushed-up silver iodide, a crystal-like photosensitive substance once used in photography.

But it's not used to take pictures out in the mountains. It's meant to make snow."

Chelsea Harvey reports for E&E News March 16, 2021, in part 1 of a 2-part series. [2]

SEE ALSO:

Part 2: "Why Cloud Seeding Won't Reverse Climate Droughts" (E&E News) [3]