By Austin

     Hey, do you know a lot about precipitation? It is an extremely important part of the water cycle. Without it, life on earth would disappear. That life-giving water keeps plants alive which in turn keeps other forms of life alive.

     Precipitation is water that falls from the atmosphere to earth's surface. "Precipitation is any form of water that falls from clouds to earth's   surface." (World Book Enc., 1976) Rain, hail, sleet, and snow are all types of precipitation. Rain is the most common. Rain is a necessity for all life.

When city dwellers mutter objections during a thunderstorm, they don't realize that lots of men, women, children, and animals are glad when rain falls. Why? They know we need it!

     So where does the rain come from? When hot air with vapor rises, it cools. Since cooler air can't hold as much vapor as warm air, the vapor condenses onto particles and forms clouds. When condensation continues and these raindrops or  snowflakes get heavier, they fall to our home planet. 

     Most precipitation is caused by a combination of different processes causing the air to rise. Clouds are made up of tiny drops of water. On a cold day when the air in the cloud is below freezing, snow falls from the sky and covers the ground like a white carpet. You can make shapes with wet snow. If it is freezing, snow will harden and become ice.

     Hail is a type of precipitation in the form of an unordinary shape. These types of ice are called hailstones. Hail is formed when wind blows raindrops up into higher altitudes, causing it to freeze. More water forms on the hail when it falls back down into the cloud and then the cycle might start again. When the hailstone is too heavy to be blown up again, it falls to the earth. Hailstones are normally found as big as peas. Hail can go through window and put dents in cars. People can be killed from hail.

     Sleet is round, hard pellets of ice. It is formed when rain passes through very cold layers of air that is 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 0 degrees Celsius or below, which is the freezing point of water.

     I hope if you didn't know a lot about precipitation, you now know a lot more. There is even more information on the links below. Just click and enjoy!

More Information on the Water Cycle

Animated Diagram of Precipitation

National Weather Service Hydrologic Cycle

Precipitation Online Meteorology Guide    

Bibliography:

(Picture of dog and person in sleet) http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=12&articleid=20090312_12_0_imgsrc858207&rss_lnk=1

(Picture of hailstones) http://www.weatherstock.com/hailcat3.html

(Animated pictures) www.animationfactory.com

World Book Encyclopedia. (1976). Chicago, IL: Field Enterprises Corporation.