The Winter Olympics could highlight China’s innovative — and troubling — efforts to control the weather

How are nations faring with a forecast of the sun during the Olympics? Beyond the pandemic, the Beijing Winter Olympics has one huge problem: there is no snow. So, as the athletes prepare for the height of competition, the Chinese government is working perhaps even harder to achieve something that was once considered impossible. Steven Zeitchik examines China’s history of weather modification, from cloud-seeding to simulate rainfall to the curious way they intend to harness the elements for success at the winter games.