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A precipitation shaft is a weather phenomenon, visible from the ground at large distances from the
A precipitation shaft is a weather phenomenon, visible from the ground at large distances from the storm system
A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstorm), ...
, as a dark vertical shaft of heavy rain
Rain is water droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the Earth. It provides water f ...
, hail
Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...
, or snow
Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes.
It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...
, generally localized over a relatively small area.
This is different from a virga
In meteorology, a virga, also called a dry storm, is an observable :wikt:fallstreak, streak or Precipitation shaft, shaft of precipitation (meteorology), precipitation falling from a cloud that Evaporation, evaporates or Sublimation (phase t ...
, which is a shaft of precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground.
Formation
A precipitation shaft is mostly found underneath convective clouds, likecumulonimbus cloud
Cumulonimbus (from Latin ''cumulus'', "heaped" and ''nimbus'', "rainstorm") is a dense, towering vertical cloud, typically forming from water vapor condensing in the lower troposphere that builds upward carried by powerful buoyant air currents. ...
or cumulus congestus cloud
Cumulus congestus clouds, also known as towering cumulus, are a form of cumulus that can be based in the low or middle height ranges. They achieve considerable vertical development in areas of deep, moist convection. They are an intermediate stage ...
during a downpour storm, as these have well defined vertical draft
In meteorology, an updraft is a small-scale current of rising air, often within a cloud.
Overview
Localized regions of warm or cool air will exhibit vertical movement. A mass of warm air will typically be less dense than the surrounding region, ...
s (updrafts and downdrafts) needed for heavy precipitation. However, an advancing nimbostratus cloud
A nimbostratus cloud is a multi-level, amorphous, nearly uniform and often dark grey cloud that usually produces continuous rain, snow or sleet but no lightning or thunder.microbursts are possible as sinking air forms.
See also
*Downburst
In meteorology, a downburst is a strong downward and outward gushing wind system that emanates from a point source above and blows radially, that is, in straight lines in all directions from the area of impact at surface level. Capable of pro ...
* Virga
In meteorology, a virga, also called a dry storm, is an observable :wikt:fallstreak, streak or Precipitation shaft, shaft of precipitation (meteorology), precipitation falling from a cloud that Evaporation, evaporates or Sublimation (phase t ...
* Shower
A shower is a place in which a person bathes under a spray of typically warm or hot water. Indoors, there is a drain in the floor. Most showers have temperature, spray pressure and adjustable showerhead nozzle. The simplest showers have a ...
References
Precipitation {{climate-stub, date=20 April 2016