The manuscript put the ideas that have been suggested by Miyoshi and Sun (2022) into a more robust optimal control formulation, although there is no reference to optimal control theory but their terminology is used.  The optimal control technique is applied to different control situations as well as different components of the Lorenz 1963 model.  

This is a well presented manuscript that introduces some interesting possibilities for weather control, and II only have minor questions that need addressing for clarity.

1) I may have missed it but define what slack variables are in paragraph 110.

2) Same paragraph, the sentence after the equations refers to a right hand side but of which equation in the set?

3) Paragraph 135: Define what is meant by the Lavenberg-Marquardt algorithm and why is it important that you use this one here?

4) Lines 173 and 175: Again I may have missed this but what do you mean by terminal cost and conditions?

5) A comment rather than a question but well done for stating on line 222 that the NR cannot be used as the initial state as we do knot know what the true state is.

6) A remark/question: In the conclusions you mention weather control but we have to take into account latency, in that in the time it has taken the algorithm to converge the atmospheric state may have changes significantly enough from the prediction that the control is null and void.  Just something to keep in mind.

Please find attached my general, specific and technical comments.

I thank the authors for this paper draft, that I recommend for publication after minor revisions.