Head South for Snow

We're soon heading to Beijing. I find it somewhat ironic that we're heading south in hopes of warmer temperatures but Beijing has already experienced their first snow of the season. (And this is before any such snow in Harbin "The Ice City") Here's the excerpt from BBC News:

Scientists 'cause' Beijing snow¹ (November 2, 2009, BBC News)
Chinese meteorologists say they brought about Beijing's earliest snowfall in a decade, after seeding rain clouds with silver iodide to ease a drought. The Weather Modification Office sprayed clouds with 186 doses of the chemical to bring rain for the wheat crop, the Beijing Evening News said. But the arrival of a cold front caused heavy snow to fall, disrupting road, rail and air travel.

The only question remaining is why not cause the snow (rainfall) sooner. If these scientists can cause it to snow, then they are holding out. Are these same scientists causing the drought by not making rain? I need some answers.
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¹ From ZG Briefs for November 5, 2009