Thursday, October 12, 2017

A precipitation question

Out walking this morning, we saw some unusual precipitation: tiny specks of moisture, like miniature snowflakes, very sparse, and so slight that they bounced around on air currents instead of just falling to the ground. Temperature in the 60s.

Wikipedia’s descriptions of precipitation leave me with drizzle as the only name that fits. But that name seems misleading at best. Does anyone know a more specific name?

comments: 8

Chris said...

Mist?

Michael Leddy said...

I’d say that it was too sparse for mist, but I’m a layperson. It was like the slightest imaginable snow flurries, but with tiny bits of moisture instead of snowflakes.

The Crow said...

Snizzle.

Michael Leddy said...

I would like to hear that on the local weather.

Elaine said...

Now that you are retired, perhaps it is time to sign up with CoCoRAHS, an international weather monitoring project for Citizen Scientists!!! (I was Arkansas's first signee for Faulkner County. I go online and report daily (unless I need to use Multi-day Accumulation reports.)
You would be great!
Please explore, and do tell them I sent ya!

Michael Leddy said...

There are bunch of dedicated weather people around here (including at least one who’s on their map). Not really my cup of tea, but I salute anyone who does this work. They have a cool acronym too. :)

Richard Abbott said...

Over here in the UK we might well call it mizzle = mist crossed with drizzle

Michael Leddy said...

That’s lovely!