Movement of water from the atmosphere to the land or to a surface water body. Precipitation refers to the process by which disolved or suspended solids are separated from a liquid. Any or all of the forms of water particles, whether liquid or solid, that fall from the atmosphere and reach the ground. The amount, usually expressed in inches of liquid water depth, of the water substance that has fallen at a given point over a specified period of time. Rain, hail, snow, dew, and sleet are all examples of precipitation.
Related terms: