Virga (cloud)

Clouds : classification
Genera Cirrus Ci Cirrocumulus Cc Cirrostratus Cs Altocumulus Ac Altostratus As Stratocumulus Sc Stratus St. Cumulus Cu Nimbostratus Ns Cumulonimbus Cb	species calvus cal capillatus cap castellanus cas congestus con fibratus fib floccus flo fractus fra humilis hum lenticularis len mediocris med nebulosus neb spissatus spi stratiformis st uncinus unc volutus vol	Subspecies duplicatus you intortus in lacunosus la opacus op perlucidus pe radiatus ra translucidus tr undulatus un vertebratus ve Special forms arcus arc asperitas asp cauda cau cavum cav fluctus flu flumen flm incus inc mamma mam murus mur pannus pan pileus pil praecipitatio pra tuba tub velum vel virga vir

Virga (abbreviation vir ) ( lat. "Branch") is precipitation in the form of rain , drizzle , snow , grains of ice, sleet , hail , etc., in the form of vertically or diagonally hanging trails (fall strips ) on the underside of a cloud shows, but does not reach the ground. The counterpart to virga is praecipitatio : With this special form, precipitation reaches the ground. This special form mostly occurs with Cirrocumulus , Altocumulus , Altostratus , Nimbostratus , Stratocumulus , Cumulus and Cumulonimbus .

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  Nimbostratus virga during the passage of a cold front

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  Virga with remnants of cloud in Sweden

Web links

Commons : Virga  - album with pictures, videos and audio files