Definition
Any form of water particles — liquid or solid — that forms in the atmosphere and falls to the surface of the earth. This includes rain, drizzle, snow, sleet, hail, and ice pellets.
Plain English
Water falling out of the sky in any form — rain, snow, hail, sleet, or drizzle.
Context Anchor
Pilots see this term in weather briefings, forecasts, airport weather reports, radar displays, and in-flight weather decisions.
Derivation
From the Latin praecipitare, meaning 'to throw down' or 'cast headlong.' That captures the idea well — precipitation is moisture being thrown down from the atmosphere to the ground.
Why Pilots Care
Precipitation reduces visibility, creates icing hazards, affects runway braking, and influences go/no-go decisions and aircraft performance.
Grounding Statement
If moisture is falling from a cloud and reaching the ground, it is precipitation.
Intuition Check
Precipitation does not mean only rain. In aviation weather, it includes frozen forms too, such as snow, sleet, and hail.
Example Sentence 1
The METAR reported moderate precipitation at the destination, so the pilot reviewed the runway condition before continuing.
Example Sentence 2
Heavy precipitation over the airport forced the pilot to delay takeoff until conditions improved.