The National Center for Atmospheric Research's mobile Doppler radars collected wind speed and precipitation data for the North Dakota Thunderstorm Project (NDTP). For decades, the state of North Dakota has seeded clouds with silver iodide to enhance rainfall and reduce crop damage from hail. NDTP's primary objective was to gather data to increase this program's effectiveness. The project used six instrument-bearing aircraft to investigate growing cumulus clouds that can feed into thunderstorms.
