Virga is precipitation that

• A. evaporates before reaching the ground
• B. reaches the ground with heavy rainfall
• C. consists of hail
• D. forms only in tropical zones

Answer: (A)

Virga occurs when precipitation falls from a cloud but evaporates (or sublimates) before it reaches the ground. This happens when the air below the cloud is dry enough that falling raindrops or ice crystals lose moisture as they descend. You can often see virga as streaks or wisps extending downward from a cloud that disappear before hitting the surface. The key idea is evaporation in mid‑air, not the amount of precipitation produced in the cloud. It isn’t about heavy rainfall at the surface, it isn’t specifically hail, and it isn’t limited to tropical regions—virga can occur in many settings whenever there’s a dry layer beneath a cloud.