The Western Kansas Weather Modification Program has two main objectives: reduce the size of hail in storms and increase rainfall by seeding selected clouds in the absence of severe weather.

The program, which has been in existence for 34 years, operates from April until September and designed to protect as much cropland as possible.

With a budget of $550,000, the program is funded by the state and has eight participating counties: Greeley, Wichita, Gray, Scott, Lane, Hamilton, Kearny, Finney and Haskell. The counties pay the weather modification program 5.2 cents per acre of cropland and 2.2 cents per acre of rangeland. The program has planes based in Lakin, Syracuse, Scott City and Leoti.

For every dollar spent on the program, there's an economic benefit of $10 to $35 in the form of better crop yields.