Drizzle is a form of liquidprecipitation characterized by fairly uniform, very fine water droplets closely spaced together, typically with diameters less than 0.5 millimeters, falling from low-level clouds such as stratus.[1][2] Unlike rain, which consists of larger drops exceeding 0.5 mm in diameter, drizzle droplets are smaller and often appear to float or drift with air currents before reaching the ground, commonly resulting in rates from a trace to 0.02 inches per hour.[3][4] Drizzle frequently accompanies fog or occurs under overcast skies, contributing to persistent low visibility and moist conditions, and forms when moist, cool air rises and condenses into tiny droplets in the lower atmosphere, particularly in marine or stratiform cloud environments.[5][6] Its prevalence in boundary-layer clouds underscores its role in microphysical processes like autoconversion, where cloud droplets coalesce into precipitation-sized particles without significant updrafts.[7]
Definition and Characteristics
Physical Properties
Drizzle comprises numerous fine liquid water droplets with diameters generally less than 0.5 mm, distinguishing it from raindrops which exceed this size.[1][8] These droplets are significantly larger than those in