Precipitation is any form of water that falls from the sky to the ground, such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. In chemistry, it also means the process of a solid forming and separating from a liquid.
“Precipitation” comes from Latin *praecipitatio*, from *praecipitare*, “to throw headlong.” In weather, it describes water being ‘thrown down’ from the atmosphere.
Meteorologists use one word—precipitation—for many different sky-falls: mist, drizzle, showers, snow, hail. It’s a reminder that nature loves variations on a theme, changing temperature and form while keeping the same basic water cycle.
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