virga
1
9.9
A streak of rain or snow that dries up before it reaches the ground
- noun
- /ˈvɜrɡə/
- Specialized
:
virga
- During the dry summer, we often witnessed virga dancing above the desert, giving a hint of rain that never arrived.
- virga is evaporating rain
- phenomenon called virga
Examples
-
Carla Virga
Blog text (32) -
Virga distracta.
-
He saw Hegge push through the wide pagoda leaves into an open cobalt sky spotted with pink-tinted virga.
Fiction book (1998) -
As the storm passed, I marveled at the virga forming streaks beneath dark clouds, disappearing before hitting the ground.
-
The meteorologist explained that virga occurs when rain or snow evaporates in the air, creating the illusion of precipitation.
How Heavy
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word virga comes from Latin virga, which means 'rod' or 'twig'. Weather scientists use it for the thin streaks of rain or snow that look like little rods or twigs hanging down from clouds but dry up before they reach the ground.