What happens to precipitation in virga?

In the phenomenon known as virga, precipitation falls from a cloud but evaporates before it can reach the ground. This occurs when the air beneath the cloud is too dry, allowing the falling rain or other forms of precipitation to turn into water vapor rather than hitting the earth's surface. As a result, observers may see streaks of rain falling from a cloud, but the ground remains dry because the moisture dissipates in the air. This process can be quite striking and is commonly visible in regions with low humidity.

The other choices describe outcomes that do not accurately characterize virga. Precipitation reaching the ground completely does not occur in this scenario, nor does it correlate with the formation of large hailstones or cause flooding, as virga effectively prevents water from accumulating on the surface. Understanding virga is important in meteorology, as it underscores the relationship between humidity levels and precipitation dynamics.