Tanay Wadodkar

Snow Seeds, MA Material Futures

Snow Seeds are stickers that make snow. Harnessing cloud-seeding technology, the aim is to provide mountain-sports enthusiasts and locals with a passive solution that helps regenerate natural precipitation patterns.

Using decades of development in cloud-seeding technology, Snow Seeds creates an innovative surface finish that can be applied to products designed for mountain environments. It uses a layer of modified ink to print graphics onto materials.

We’ve seen the effects of climate change disproportionately affect mountain communities, many of whom depend on reliable snowfall and precipitation for their livelihoods. Changes in snowfall quality and quantity are shrinking snow seasons, and impacting local communities and regional economies, with many downstream effects. The climate crisis makes it imperative for communities to adapt their activities accordingly – and many are doing so. However, solutions that mitigate and reverse these effects are still needed, with regenerative practices offering a promising path forward.

Snow Seeds employs a finishing technology where inks are infused with silver iodide salt, a mineral established in cloud-seeding practices. These inks are layered onto a waterproof base to create graphic art. As the top layer of ink dissolves into environmental snow and water, the salt evaporates upward into clouds, helping bind moisture into droplets large enough to fall as snow.

Currently, the base is in the form of stickers applied to snowboards and skis. The project is evolving towards a finish that can be applied directly to snowboards and skis, akin to the wax used on their bases. This project supports communities directly affected by climate change, amplifies local voices as stewards of their environment, and empowers visitors with passive solutions that contribute to protecting and rebuilding these fragile regions.

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