Where does the word virga come from?

Virga, from the Latin for ‘rod’ or ‘branch’ appear as light wisps which are attached to the base of a cloud and are often at their most striking when lit by a red sunset with a light wind extending the tail into a angled curve.

What is virga in aviation?

Description. Virga is often seen as a short curtain of rain underneath a cloud. The precipitation falls through warmer air with a higher dew point and evaporates before reaching the surface.

What does virga mean?

Virga is from the Latin word virga, which means primarily “branch” or “rod,” but can also refer to a streak in the sky suggesting rain. The rare noun “virgate,” which refers to an old English unit of land area, came from “virga” by way of the Medieval Latin virgata (also a unit of land area) in the late 17th century.

What is the name for rain that does not reach the ground?

virga
In meteorology, a virga is an observable streak or shaft of precipitation falling from a cloud that evaporates or sublimates before reaching the ground. A shaft of precipitation that does not evaporate before reaching the ground is a precipitation shaft.

Why is virga bad?

Virga forms from microbursts as the strong winds carry precipitation down from the cloud, but the precipitation evaporates. If you see virga, you may need to prepare for gusty winds! In addition to virga possibly being a sign of danger, it can cause a headache for weather forecasters.

What is it called when you see rain in the distance?

A precipitation shaft is a weather phenomenon, visible from the ground at large distances from the storm system, as a dark vertical shaft of heavy rain, hail, or snow, generally localized over a relatively small area.

What is freezing rain called?

Depending on the intensity and duration, sleet can accumulate on the ground much like snow. Freezing rain occurs when snowflakes descend into a warmer layer of air and melt completely. A significant accumulation of freezing rain lasting several hours or more is called an ice storm.

What is Grapple snow?

Graupel are soft, small pellets formed when supercooled water droplets (at a temperature below 32°F) freeze onto a snow crystal, a process called riming. Graupel is also called snow pellets or soft hail, as the graupel particles are particularly fragile and generally disintegrate when handled.

Why is Virga bad?

What is evaporating rain called?

Virga is rain that evaporates before it hits the ground. It happens when rain falls through an especially dry part of the atmosphere which generally saturates from the upper atmosphere down to the surface.

Can a cloud burst?

Cloudburst, a sudden, very heavy rainfall, usually local in nature and of brief duration. Most so-called cloudbursts occur in connection with thunderstorms. In these storms there are violent uprushes of air, which at times prevent the condensing raindrops from falling to the ground.

Can you fly through virga?

If the temperatures aloft are at or below freezing, virga can contain supercooled liquid water, and flying through it is an icing hazard. If there are thunderstorms in the immediate area or virga appears to be falling from towering cumulus, virga might be a sign that a downdraft or microburst is active in that region.

What is the meaning of the term Virga?

For other uses, see Virga (disambiguation). For the musical term, see Neume. In meteorology, a virga is an observable streak or shaft of precipitation falling from a cloud that evaporates or sublimates before reaching the ground. A shaft of precipitation that does not evaporate before reaching the ground is a precipitation shaft.

Where can you find Virga in the world?

In North America, it is commonly seen in the Western United States and the Canadian Prairies. It is also very common in the Middle East, Australia, and North Africa .

What do you mean by virga falling from altocumulus?

Virga falling from Altocumulus. In meteorology, a virga is an observable streak or shaft of precipitation falling from a cloud that evaporates or sublimates before reaching the ground. A shaft of precipitation that doesn’t evaporate before reaching the ground is a precipitation shaft.

When was viewing the vagaries of virga created?

“Viewing the Vagaries and Verities of Virga” Alistair B. Fraser and Craig F. Bohren, Department of Meteorology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, 2 November 1992 and 25 January 1993.