McDonough Archives

Three men in winter gear and snow board on a peak overlooking the water of Lake Tahoe.

Cloud Seeding for Local Precipitation Enhancement: An Interview With Atmospheric Scientist Frank McDonough

By Elyse DeFranco | Nov 19, 2025 | Featured researchers

Frank McDonough is a research and forecast meteorologist who leads DRI’s cloud seeding program. His research interests span cloud physics, aviation icing forecasting, and precipitation enhancement.

In this interview, Dr. McDonough answers frequently asked questions about how cloud seeding works and what makes DRI’s program unique. This is the second in a new series of FAQ videos with DRI researchers.

Making it Snow: A Brief History and Review of the Science Behind Cloud-Seeding

By Elyse DeFranco | Mar 15, 2023 | Blog, Featured researchers

The snow-inducing technique called cloud-seeding has been around for more than 60 years. Although not a panacea for drought-stricken regions, cloud-seeding can increase seasonal precipitation by about 10%. In the Reno area alone, winter cloud-seeding efforts are estimated to add enough water to supply about 40,000 households for a year.

Stories in the Snow, a Citizen Science project

DRI Stories in the Snow Project collects over 400 images from local citizen scientists

By DRI Communications | Mar 14, 2018 | News releases, Research findings

Detailed photographs help local scientists understand regional storms, collect weather data Reno, NV (Wednesday, March 14, 2018): No two snow crystals are alike, an old saying goes – and this winter, students, and adults from across the Reno-Tahoe region are...