Precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground is called virga. It appears as streaks or wispy shafts hanging beneath a cloud, but no rain or snow reaches the surface.
Virga forms when falling rain or ice crystals pass through a layer of dry air. Liquid droplets evaporate, while ice can sublimate directly into vapor. The process absorbs heat from the surrounding air, sometimes creating strong downdrafts. If those downdrafts reach the ground, they can produce a microburst, which is hazardous to aircraft.
The word virga comes from the Latin word for “rod,” “branch,” or “twig,” describing its dangling appearance. Virga is especially common in deserts, the western United States, the Canadian Prairies, the Middle East, Australia, and North Africa. It is different from ordinary rain: the visible precipitation shaft exists, but the ground remains dry.