HOW DOES CLOUD SEEDING WORK?
Cumulus clouds–the billowy, cauliflower-shaped clouds often seen in Texas skies during much of the year–are important rain producers in every sector of the state. As the predominant cloud type during the warmest eight months of the year (March-October), cumulus (or convective) clouds are responsible for producing the bulk of rainwater given by the atmosphere in any given year in Texas. These towering cloud formations form from strong updrafts of warm, moist air into an atmosphere that is unstable. Intense daytime heating of the near-surface layer of air, or a wedge of cold air moving across the state (as a cold front), usually triggers the formation of convective clouds. Not all cumulus clouds become rain producers. In fact, only a small percentage of them ever develop the capability to yield an appreciable amount of rainfall. Those convective clouds that do produce rainwater are often inefficient: For all the moisture they incorporate from below, only a tiny fraction of that moisture
