Which statement defining Virga is correct?

• A. Virga is precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground
• B. Virga is heavy snowfall
• C. Virga is hail at low altitude
• D. Virga is drizzle under fog

Answer: (A)

Virga is precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground. This happens when there is dry air beneath a cloud, so falling raindrops or ice crystals evaporate (or sublimate) before they can hit the surface, often seen as streaks descending from the cloud without a wet ground below. The statement captures this idea precisely: the key idea is that the precipitation never reaches the ground because it evaporates in flight. The other scenarios describe precipitation that does reach the ground or a different phenomenon altogether—heavy snowfall, hail at low altitude, or drizzle under fog—so they don’t define virga.