What is Virga?

What is Virga?

• A. Precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground
• B. Dew forming on the ground
• C. Light rain that reaches the ground
• D. Snow with little moisture

Answer: (A)

Virga is precipitation that evaporates or sublimates before it reaches the ground. You’ve likely seen it as streaks beneath a cloud that fade away before they hit the surface. This happens when the air below the cloud is dry or unsaturated, so liquid water droplets or ice crystals lose moisture quickly as they fall. That’s why virga describes precipitation that never reaches the ground. This fits the description of precipitation starting to fall but evaporating in the air, rather than dew forming on the ground, light rain actually reaching the ground, or snow simply being dry moisture on the surface.

Virga is precipitation that evaporates or sublimates before it reaches the ground. You’ve likely seen it as streaks beneath a cloud that fade away before they hit the surface. This happens when the air below the cloud is dry or unsaturated, so liquid water droplets or ice crystals lose moisture quickly as they fall. That’s why virga describes precipitation that never reaches the ground.

This fits the description of precipitation starting to fall but evaporating in the air, rather than dew forming on the ground, light rain actually reaching the ground, or snow simply being dry moisture on the surface.