If you’ve lived in Santa Fe for any length of time, you’ve probably seen what looks like streaks of rain falling from clouds — but then you notice the ground stays bone dry. That phenomenon is called virga, and it’s a regular part of our weather here in northern New Mexico.
Virga - The Rain that Never Reaches the Ground
August 19, 2025
By Jay Faught
What is Virga?
Virga occurs when rain or snow begins falling from a cloud but evaporates (or sublimates, in the case of snow) before it can reach the ground. This happens most often in dry climates like ours, where the lower levels of the atmosphere have very low humidity. Essentially, the precipitation is “stolen” by the dry air before it completes its journey to the surface.
From a distance, virga looks like wispy streaks or curtains of precipitation hanging below clouds, often tapering away before touching the earth. It can make for some stunning sunsets when the low-angle light catches those streaks.
Why is Virga Common in Santa Fe?
At 7,000 feet above sea level, Santa Fe sits in a semi-arid climate where the atmosphere is often quite dry. Even when monsoon moisture is present, the lower levels of the atmosphere can remain dry enough to evaporate rain before it hits the ground. That’s why you might see dark clouds overhead, even flashes of lightning, but still end up without a drop of measurable rainfall.
How Virga Impacts Our Weather
While virga may look harmless, it can have real impacts:
- Gusty Winds: As the rain evaporates, it cools the air, making it denser. That cooler air rushes downward and then spreads out when it hits the ground, creating sudden bursts of wind known as outflow winds or gust fronts. These are often the reason for our blustery afternoons and evenings when storms are nearby but not directly overhead.
- Dry Thunderstorms: Sometimes virga is paired with lightning that strikes the ground while the rain never makes it down. This is a classic setup for wildfire danger in New Mexico — a storm that produces lightning but no helpful rainfall.
False Hope for Rain: Many of us know the frustration of watching promising clouds build up only to realize the “rain” never arrives. Virga is a big reason why Santa Fe can have active skies but relatively low annual rainfall totals.
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