Brittany Peterson

Scientists say nearly half of the American West has emerged from drought following a winter marked by heavy snow and several massive rainstorms. The robust precipitation hasn't entirely replenished the region.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation granted $2.4 million Thursday for cloud seeding in the Upper Colorado River Basin. The Southern Nevada Water Authority voted Thursday to accept the grant aimed at enhancing snowfall in neighboring Western states whose water they rely on. The federal support for efforts to pull more water from clouds comes after years of devastating drought in the region. In the Upper Colorado River Basin, Utah and Colorado have been seeding clouds for decades. Wyoming has nearly a decade of experience, and New Mexico recently began approving permits for warm weather seeding in the eastern part of the state.