what does salting the clouds mean?

Answer 1

It is my understanding that it is an actual chemical that is dropped on clouds (usually fog/low clouds) by planes to get the clouds to break up. Usually done mostly around airports where conditions make landing and taking off of planes hazardous.
Haven't you ever seen the strange looking snow?

Answer 2

Wow, Foxxy Lady, I haven't heard that expression, 'salting the clouds,' since the Sixties!

Back then it was believed that rain could be induced artificially by... 'salting the clouds.' Now, common table salt was not used. What was used was: finely powdered table salt (Sodium Chloride), or sometimes Silver Iodide. I even heard of dry ice (CO2). Airplanes dusted the clouds with these chemicals in hopes that rain would result.

During these times of experimentation, if an airplane was not available to 'salt the clouds,' people at times resorted to using small cannons to fire the chemicals into the clouds. Some people thought that it was the 'boom' of the cannons that would bring rain.

H

Answer 3

When the clouds are very heavy and a bad storm is brewing, planes are sent up to sprinkle something on them (i don't know for sure what it is, but it makes the rain fall). Is that what you mean?

Answer 4

That's when the spray stuff to encourage the clouds to rain.

Answer 5

That's when the spray stuff to encourage the clouds to rain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_seeding

Answer 6

Its similar to peppering the hills

Answer 7

just to get all the flavour out of em