Weather Science
Virga Explained: Rain or Snow That Evaporates Before Reaching the Ground
What virga is, why precipitation can fall from clouds but disappear, and how evaporating rain can create gusty winds.
Quick answer: Virga is precipitation that falls from a cloud but evaporates or sublimates before reaching the ground.
Why it happens
If the air below the cloud is dry, falling rain or snow can evaporate before it reaches the surface.
You may see streaks beneath clouds that fade out before touching the ground.
Wind connection
Evaporation cools air, making it denser. That cooled air can sink and spread out as gusty wind.
In dry climates, virga can be linked with dry microbursts.
Forecast clues
Virga shows that moisture exists aloft but the lower atmosphere is dry.
If the low levels moisten over time, precipitation may eventually reach the ground.