29 April 2010

Skywatch Friday: Virga

With the warmer (i.e. above freezing!) temperatures of spring comes that most delightful aerial phenomenon, virga. Sometimes called "dry rain," virga is precipiation that falls from clouds but dries up before touching Earth. It creates lovely veils of smoke and is especially beautiful when backlit by the setting sun. Here are a few pics looking westward down the Clark Fork River Valley from my home in Walkerville, Montana (near Butte America):




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15 comments:

  1. Sylvia KThursday, 29 April, 2010

    Fantastic captures! I do remember seeing the dry rain when I lived in Montana! Such beautiful colors! Hope you have a terrific weekend!

    Sylvia

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  2. Claire P.Thursday, 29 April, 2010

    Love the sky shot :-) The colors are just amazing!

    Check mine out HERE.

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  3. iheartsunnydaysThursday, 29 April, 2010

    Beautiful photos, gorgeous colours!

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  4. MariaThursday, 29 April, 2010

    Oh ... you "stole my thunder"
    ;o)
    I have some virga photos too!
    Was going to post about them...but gave into the chamomile tea.

    ... virga is so neat to see, isn't it?!
    Your shots are so colorful!
    A beautiful sunset~

    Mine virga shots are amidst a very, very gray sky--with the clouds looking like Michelin tire monsters!
    ~Maria

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  5. AlThursday, 29 April, 2010

    That is beautiful. We get a lot of that where I live too, in the spring and summer.

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  6. JimThursday, 29 April, 2010

    Amazing cloud shots.
    Sydney - City and Suburbs

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  7. Frostbite and SunburnFriday, 30 April, 2010

    Stunning captures and colours, and I never knew what this was called. Thanks!

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  8. gretchen millerFriday, 30 April, 2010

    The Montana sky is magnificent. The colors during a beautiful sunset have always been a fascination of mine. It is amazing how quickly they change. Great shots!

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  9. LoranFriday, 30 April, 2010

    I never knew what that was called either; or if I did, I forgot. Great dramatic sky shots!

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  10. Noel MorataFriday, 30 April, 2010

    aloha,

    beautiful skywatch today, i love your moody skies, very pretty

    thanks again for sharing this.

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  11. tsduffFriday, 30 April, 2010

    I've been trying to remember the name of that term (falling rain which evaporates before hitting the ground) for months! Thanks for showing your photos - they are beautiful as always.

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  12. secret agent womanSunday, 02 May, 2010

    I've never heard of that phenomenon, but it's beautiful.

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  13. This Is My Blog - fishing guySunday, 02 May, 2010

    ER: That is certainly a beautiful sky, so nicely captured.

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  14. LinneaSunday, 02 May, 2010

    Such beautiful sky captures!

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  15. EG CameraGirlMonday, 03 May, 2010

    Wonderful photos. I didn't know dry rain had a special name...but now I do. Thanks!

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