Virga is best described as precipitation that

• A. evaporates before reaching the ground
• B. reaches the ground with intensity
• C. consists of hail
• D. forms only in polar regions

Answer: (A)

Virga describes precipitation that evaporates before it reaches the ground. This happens when falling rain or snow passes through a layer of dry or unsaturated air beneath the cloud; the moisture evaporates (or the ice sublimates) before it can hit the surface. You can often see virga as wispy streaks extending downward from the cloud base that fade out before reaching the ground. It indicates that the air below the cloud is not saturated, not that the precipitation is inherently weak or intense at the ground, and it isn’t limited to polar regions or to hail.