Definition
Any form of water or ice falling through the atmosphere that can be seen by the human eye, including rain, drizzle, snow, sleet, hail, or ice pellets. In icing-related guidance, visible precipitation is one of the two conditions (along with visible moisture such as cloud) that, combined with freezing or near-freezing temperatures, creates the environment in which structural icing can form on an aircraft.
Plain English
Water or ice you can actually see falling out of the sky — rain, snow, sleet, drizzle, or hail. If it's coming down and you can see it, it counts.
Context Anchor
Used in icing discussions, weather reports, and preflight decisions when a pilot is judging whether the airplane may fly through moisture.
Derivation
Visible comes from a Latin word meaning “to see.” Precipitation comes from a Latin idea of something being thrown or falling downward. Together, the term points to moisture that is actually falling and can be seen.
Why Pilots Care
Helps pilots recognize conditions that often bring rapid ice buildup on the aircraft.
Grounding Statement
Picture rain or snow moving through the air in front of the windshield; that is visible precipitation.
Intuition Check
Visible precipitation does not mean every kind of moisture you can see, such as a cloud or fog. It means water or ice that is falling through the air.
Example Sentence 1
Climbing through 6,000 feet in visible precipitation with an outside air temperature of minus two degrees Celsius, the pilot turned on the pitot heat and began watching the wing leading edges for ice.
Example Sentence 2
A report of visible precipitation ahead led the crew to request a different altitude.