Why are some Boise-area residents seeing more snow than others? Here’s one surprising factor
The Boise area has seen several dustings of snow during the recent inversion.
But why does there seem to be more snow in some parts of town than others, even places separated by only a few blocks?
The answer might come from a surprising place: pollution.
While snow has fallen in most of Ada County during the inversions, snowfall in Boise has been noticeably lighter and more scattered. We asked a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Boise why.
She explained that certain areas of Boise are experiencing more snow during the inversion because of the natural process of cloud seeding from nearby industrial operations.
Here’s what you need to know.
How does cloud seeding work?
While cloud seeding may sound like science fiction, the process is straightforward.
In deliberate cloud seeding, condensation nuclei such as silver iodide are introduced into a cloud via aircraft or ground-based generator. Silver iodide has a molecular structure in the shape of a hexagon, which is also the same shape as naturally occurring ice, according to the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
The new element attracts more water molecules and encourages more ice particles to form until they become heavy enough to fall, and for precipitation to begin sooner.
The IDWR website notes that natural cloud seeding also can occur from impurities in the atmosphere, such as aerosols and dust in the clouds. These can be emitted from factories or other businesses in the area.
Is the inversion strengthening the cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding has been utilized in Idaho since 2003, according to Idaho Power.
According to Sophia Adams, a meteorologist at the NWS in Boise, there has not been a notification of deliberate cloud-seeding operations taking place in the Boise region. So, more snow in certain areas during the inversion is likely the result of natural cloud seeding from businesses in the area, she said.
“In the right circumstance, like right now when we have all the fog and clouds down here, when it’s colder and a dust particle from exhaust or from a factory gets into that cloud, that’s when the seeding occurs,” Adams said. “Those nuclei are added to the clouds, and snow crystals grow.”
Adams clarified that Boise and Ada County are receiving natural snowfall. But Impurities like dust particles in the atmosphere from factories in the region cause the snow to fall more in certain areas.
“So that’s why you might see some places could get a little bit of snow and you’ll see flurries coming down, and other places don’t,” Adams said. “And it’s probably because those locations have enough nuclei to seed the cloud and then you get the light snowfall.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 4:00 AM.
