 Due to Langmuir 's efforts , and the research of Schaefer at General Electric , the concept of using cloud seeding to weaken hurricanes gathered momentum . Indeed , Schaefer had caused a major snowstorm on December 20 , 1946 by seeding a cloud . This caused GE to drop out for legal reasons . Schaefer and Langmuir assisted the U.S. military as advisors for Project Cirrus , the first large study of cloud physics and weather modification . Its most important goal was to try to weaken hurricanes . 
