noun, (used with a singular or plural verb) Meteorology
1.
streaks of water drops or ice particles falling out of a cloud and evaporating before reaching the ground (distinguished from praecipitatio).
Origin
1935-40; < Latin: rod, streak
Examples from the web for virga
They themselves sometimes produce virga, which is rain or snow that does not reach the ground.
For example, a narrow band of virga may appear similar to a high funnel cloud.
Rain or virga will tend to cool the air as it falls through it.
On this day, there were a few bands of weak reflectivity with virga and some light rain.
British Dictionary definitions for virga
virga
/ˈvɜːɡə/
noun
1.
(sometimes functioning as pl) (meteorol) wisps of rain or snow, seen trailing from clouds, that evaporate before reaching the earth
Word Origin
C20: from Latin: streak
virga in Science
virga
(vûr'gə) Light wisps of precipitation streaming from a cloud but evaporating before reaching the ground, especially when the air below is low in humidity.