The Short Version
Cloud seeding can modestly enhance precipitation (typically 5–15%) when suitable clouds are already present, but it cannot create clouds or storms. During droughts, seedable storms are systematically fewer, undermining the claim's central promise. The strongest scientific evidence supports effectiveness mainly for winter orographic snowpack, not general rainfall during drought. Experts, including those at Columbia Climate School and Yale, explicitly warn against treating cloud seeding as a reliable drought response. The word "reliably" is not supported by the scientific consensus.