Rain which doesnt hit the ground

For this reason, you may also hear virga referred to as "fallstreaks. Why the funny name? Keeping in the tradition of clouds whose names are Latin, the term is derived from the Latin word virga, meaning "twig" or "branch," likely referring to the thin delicate streaks it produces. Virga is produced when precipitation falls from high clouds into extremely dry air low humidity and high air temperatures below. Virga is commonly seen across the desert region of the Western United States, an area prone to both low humidity and high temperatures.

As the liquid raindrops or ice crystals hit the warm, dry air they absorb the high levels of heat energy which energizes the movement of their water molecules, transforming them straight into water vapor sublimation. Eventually, as more and more precipitation evaporates into the air, the air becomes moister RH rises.

If precipitation is light, it can take several hours for the air to saturate. As the air saturates first aloft, then down to the surface, a kind of "moist pathway" is carved out that precipitation can follow to the surface as rain or snow.

Like all light precipitation, virga shows up on the radar as shades of light green rain or light blue snow. However, with virga, while the radar may detect it, your eyes won't. If you've ever watched your radar screen and seen the leading edge of a rain or snow band over your location but not seen any rain or snow actually falling outside your door, then you've been tricked by virga before.

This is common in winter, especially when waiting for the start of a snowstorm. We've all heard our meteorologist say " It's already snowing in the upper air, but the air at the surface is too dry to see it. It's easy to mistake virga for a distant rain shaft a dark curtain of rainfall extending from the base of a thunderstorm down to the ground.

What's the biggest give away for virga? If it's virga, it won't reach the ground. It is also theorized that virga is partially responsible for creating hole-punch clouds. In addition, virga high in the atmosphere can reflect sunlight creating brilliant sun pillars and other atmospheric optics associated with sunlight.

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Select basic ads. These microbursts come about as rainfall transitions back into water vapour, removing heat from the air and causing an accelerating sink of colder air, which can cause severe turbulence. Virga are often referred to as 'jellyfish clouds' based on their puffy-top appearance with streaky stingers hanging below.

Apart from jellyfish though, they are often spotted looking like various objects in the sky. As a supplementary cloud feature, they occur most frequently with Cirrocumulus, Altocumulus, Altostratus, Nimbostratus, Stratocumulus, Cumulus and Cumulonimbus.

Virga clouds. What are virga? How does virga form? What weather is associated with virga? The jellyfish of the skies Virga are often referred to as 'jellyfish clouds' based on their puffy-top appearance with streaky stingers hanging below.

What clouds are associated with virga?