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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
Virgas
Rain or snow that evaporates before hitting the ground.
That one I will file away for the right moment
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 72
journeyman
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journeyman
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 72 |
I wonder how it would get so hot, suddenly, while it was snowing, that the snow would evaporate before it hits the ground. Summer monsoons, I could understand, but how snow? Flamethrowers?
I exist! I am a pedant! I have a foreboding signature!
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
I think it has to do with air pressure, humidity and friction.
I am likening it to a meteorite.
I had never considered what it was called because it is something I had never encountered or thought about.
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Quote:
I think it has to do with air pressure, humidity and friction.
You really should look at the site Anu added to it. Very nice.
We see this phenomenen often over our wide, flat country's horizons. But strangly enough we have no word for it.
We just say:"Look it's falling overthere", but in fact,from a long distance you can see that sometimes, whatever is falling never reaches the ground. Right, it does not have to do with heat.
(I think it has to do with colliding pressure fields, often rainbows and short heavy showers are involved)
I'll borrow the word.
Last edited by BranShea; 02/28/2007 7:47 AM.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 956 |
Wonderful imagery. I think its going to virga today!
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Wow--I never knew there was a name for that phenomenon, and indeed hadn't thought about it existing, though it makes sense. Re: snow, Curi, I would imagine that it is cold enough at the height of the cloud(s) that the precip. starts out as snow, and then the temp. warms up as it descends. And I guess it goes to show my ignorance that I thought the word was pronounced veer-ga, and then I find it's vuhr-ga. Oh, well.
I went to the site with all the pictures, and realized I've seen weather just like some of them! And I love the guy's word, praecipitatio--sounds like it ought to be something to eat! (She said, further revealing her ignorance.)
But, hey, Branshea, did you see this line on his contact page: Ik spreek ook Nederlands! ?
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Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773 |
Seems like it ought to mean flatulence in a person who has never experienced sexual intercourse
dalehileman
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,295 |
Yes, Jackie, a very nice site, love those wonderful skies! I see there is a Nederlandse site as well, but that shows other pictures. Looking through the links I saw many Dutch names among the contributers.
And this in the literature dep. An old book , obviously :
The green flash and other low sun phenomena
D.J.K. O-Connell, S.J.
Vatican Observatory / North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam (1958)
pictures : W-081-33.... W-281-34.... W-082-11.... W-021-15
look very familiar to me. Can hardly miss; they've been taken here.
The green flash is something very spectacular and rather rare.
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Joined: Oct 2005
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addict
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addict
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 557 |
Living in the desert Southwest, it's not that unusual to feel raindrops hit your head even though the ground stays dry and the sun shining brightly the whole time.
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Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,773 |
Myr: You can say that again. It's been so dry in Victor VAlley, CA we can't remember what rain looks like
dalehileman
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