–Rain is associated with warm clouds exclusively and cool
clouds when surface
temperatures are above freezing
–Rainshowers are episodic precipitation events associated with convective activity and cumulus clouds
•Drops tend to be large and widely spaced to begin, then
smaller drops become
more prolific
–Raindrop Shape begins as spherical
•As frictional drag increases, changes to a mushroom
shape
•Drops eventually flatten
•Drops split when frictional drag overcomes the surface
tension of water
•Splitting ensures a maximum drop size of about 5 mm and
the continuation
of the collision-coalescence process