North Dakota has been experiencing an unusual weather pattern in recent days. There have been so many storms moving across the state, particularly from Montana into western North Dakota, that is has grabbed the full attention of those who see the storms up close and personal namely, weather modification pilots.

"The pattern we're in is a westerly zonal flow through the atmosphere, very unusual for this time of year," said Mark Schneider, chief meteorologist for the North Dakota Atmospheric Resource Board. "Typically this time of year there is a long period of high pressure, and storms are steered around the state, but we are in a very aggressive, active pattern."

The storms have brought high winds, heavy rainfall, damaging hail and spawned numerous tornado warnings since mid-July.

"It's an abnormally active severe storm summer, I would say," said Schneider.

Schneider, based in Bismarck, was recently at the Stanley Radar Center where one of six specially equipped Weather Modification aircraft serving District 2 is based. District 2 consists of Ward, Mountrail, Williams and McKenzie counties. Two aircraft are based in Watford City and one each in Minot, Williston and Kenmare. District 1, which consists of Bowman and a portion of Slope County, has two aircraft based in Bowman.

"Our heavy hitter is in Williston," explained Schneider. "That's our workhorse. It's very important because the majority of storms during the summer come in from Montana. That way we can start seeding storms quickly."

Seeding storms can accomplish one of two things increase the chance of rainfall by an estimated 10 percent or reduce the amount of harmful hail. Schneider received word Monday afternoon to put a stop to rain enhancement and switch strictly to hail suppression.

"What we've been hearing from farmers is that they are wet enough and don't need any more rain," said Schneider.

With the need for rain no longer a pressing issue, Weather Modification pilots turn their full efforts toward limiting the effects of hailstorms. Schneider calls hail suppression "beneficial competition." Hail suppression is designed to reduce the size of hailstones, sometimes reducing them to a size that will melt before hitting the ground. Various long-term studies show a 45 percent reduction in crop damage in areas where hail suppression has taken place.

"That's what we do. We go in and get rid of the hail for the farmers around here," said Derek Peterson, a Kenmare native who is an intern pilot with Weather Modification in Minot.

Pilot Eric Miller, of Indiana, also works out of the Minot International Airport. It's his fifth summer flying toward storms while others do their best to stay out of the way of dangerous weather.

"It's a very different picture when you are up flying on a storm and get to see one that close," said Miller. "It's really impressive and you get a lot of really big storms around here. They train pilots to stay 20 miles away from those things and we go up and fly right next to them. It's kind of different."

Surprisingly, turbulence in the area of a thunderstorm is usually limited.

"Smoother than you think. It's really not too bad," said Miller. "We just tuck up next to the storm and fly along."

Miller and other Weather Modification pilots dispense silver iodide or dry ice into the clouds of a thunderstorm. Depending on what type of plane is being used, the seeding is done from above or virtually within a storm cloud.

"Every thunderstorm has an ice process going on," explained Schneider. "The way to think about it is, we make sure that the available super-cooled liquid water gets distributed in a very efficient way within a storm. It is hail suppression, not prevention."

Weather Modification pilots are on call every hour of every day from June 1 through August 31. The season can be extended in eight-day increments if necessary, such as in times of a late harvest. Often pilots are flying after midnight, heading for storms building up during the early morning hours.

"This year it seem half the flights have been at night," remarked Miller. "We've had a few at 3 and 4 a.m."

With planes strategically placed throughout western North Dakota, usually no more than two are called upon per storm. Each plane carries an estimated two hours worth of dispersant.

"It doesn't matter if it is 3 a.m.," said Schneider. "We launch aircraft and seed the storms. It gets interesting, that's for sure."

Weather Modification Inc., based in Fargo since 1961, is the largest cloud seeding company in the world