VIRGA stands for?

VIRGA stands for?

• A. Rain that evaporates before hitting the ground
• B. Vapor in gusts
• C. Visible rain
• D. Vertical air motion

Answer: (A)

Rain that evaporates before reaching the ground. This happens when falling droplets enter a layer of dry or undersaturated air below the cloud base, so they evaporate before they ever make it to the surface. You’ll often see wisps or streaks extending downward from the cloud base, but there is no rain reaching the ground. In flight planning, virga can signal strong cooling of air beneath the cloud and potential downdrafts or gusts, which is why pilots pay attention to it. The other options don’t fit: it’s not simply vapor in gusts, it’s precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground; it’s not just visible rain that actually hits the surface; and it isn’t a term for vertical air motion.

Rain that evaporates before reaching the ground. This happens when falling droplets enter a layer of dry or undersaturated air below the cloud base, so they evaporate before they ever make it to the surface. You’ll often see wisps or streaks extending downward from the cloud base, but there is no rain reaching the ground. In flight planning, virga can signal strong cooling of air beneath the cloud and potential downdrafts or gusts, which is why pilots pay attention to it.

The other options don’t fit: it’s not simply vapor in gusts, it’s precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground; it’s not just visible rain that actually hits the surface; and it isn’t a term for vertical air motion.