Invisible Rain

Thanks for this information. Now we wonder what the author would say about it...

If there were any trees, in addition to those that retain very fine drops of moisture, there is this theory that I found on a google search:

(taken from newton.dep.anl.gov)
"When you describe your situation like observing a 'fine rain', it sounds to me as if there may be an aphid infestation. Simply put, aphids feed by sucking sap from various tree species; in turn, when they release their waste, called honeydew, it often ends up coating things like car windows, etc. Situatated beneath the affected trees."

This would even eliminate the need for wind, or at least much more than a light breeze to carry the honeydew.

Warmest blessings,

DA

I'd definitely be interested in the types of trees you mention.
Good points you offer--trees, wind.
The story mentions neither, but it would be good to hear from the author on this.
Now if that couldn't do it in the way of explaining this, I tend to think nothing else physical would either.

succubiluv, thank you for your reply! I was sure that something was missing from that picture, but I'm no weather professional! I do recall the author stating that it was clear outside, I was just wondering if the humidity or anything may have caused this. My only other question is were there any trees nearby? Any wind? If so, I know of several species of trees that retain enough water on their leaves to give off sort of a "rain" when the wind blows, and it feels like cold water on contact, but when you check your skin, it's already evaporated.

That's my only other explanation. Otherwise, I'm going to have to say it was either unexplained in the scientific world or paranormal!

Warmest blessings,

DA

After reading through info on virga, Devious Angel, a few factors come to light which have a direct bearing on this subject.

Virga is dependent upon cloud formation to exist. The precipitation is produced therein. No clouds, no virga.
In his story, the author twice states that the night was "clear".

The author and his companion felt the moisture of raindrops but didn't see rain even with the help of illumination by flashlight.
Virga is defined as precipitation that DOES'NT reach the ground.
Why not? Because the pecip evaporates in the upper atmosphere.
This gives virga the label "invisible rain",
Since it is rain or snow formed in the upper atmosphere that evaporates.
So the term "invisibility" applies to the end result of the process, the evaporation phase.

If it DID reach the ground as mentioned in the newspaper article you found it would be visible precipitation, never invisible, because it will have persisted beyond the evaporation phase.
Also, vapor has visibility, but the author describes a clear night.

Given these factors, an explanation of akaglowboy's experience that's based purely upon weather science leaves elements in his story unaccounted for.

Your shared research on this subject is appreciated. Thanks.

We get quite a lot of snow in southern California, depending on which area you're in. A lot of the high deserts get bitterly cold in the winter and sometimes there is snow out there. I know that there are places near the mountains that get a lot of snow as well.

If you're referring to the valley areas (Los Angeles, for example), the last report of snow was in 1962 and it was only trace amounts. The only significant report was in 1954, in which we had. 3 inches of snow. (VERY little!) In 1949, we had JUST over. 3 inches.

Invisible rain... Now that's something strange! I've never heard of anything like that happening. Some research yielded only one result that might explain this strange weather phenomenon:

(From USA Today)
"Rain or snow that evaporates as it falls into a layer of dry air near the earth's surface is called virga. While virga can happen at any time during the year, it is most common during winter, when low-level air is very dry. As falling precipitation evaporates it moistens the dry air from the top down. If the precipitation lasts, the air becomes moist enough to block evaporation and the rain or snow reaches the ground."

That's all I can find. 🤔 I'm still not sure that that explains it though.

Warmest blessings,

DA

I think I'm going to take a look today, though mine eyes are still burnin' from other recent online research.

Yeah, but I caught a rerun. But it was very interesting. Still researching things out?
Thank you.

So you were living in Cali when that episode aired--probably not in 1960 I'll wager.
I'm going to check again to see if there's any meteorological explain for it.

Oh yeah, I agree.
There could be NUMEROUS reasons for bugs to go on the rampage. Not being a bug myself, I could not really hand you over any examples at this time (I may be as annoying as a bug at times, but that is neither here nor there). But living out here in corn country, we see it almost every year. Something about migration cycles or some such bug stuff.
But an invisible RAIN, or SNOW, now THAT is something completely different.

Serious call out:
Is anyone here on site a meteorologist or anyone who has studied in the field of weather?! If so, PLEASE read this call out and join us!
Thank you.

My impression is that a rain of living things is more explainable than is a case of INVISIBLE rain.
Never heard of that. What about you?
That phenomenon is my main puzzlement at this point.

Hmmm, interesting. 😉 (I LIKE that word)
You know, someone just told me that they had a similar occurrence, which shocked me out of my socks. HE said that there was a time in which he was standing out in his yard and a rain of grasshoppers fell down on him. They did not seem to be effected by the fall, at all. Most of them that he "followed with his eyes" seemed to just collect themselves and hop around.
When I asked about an "obvious fog" (as in when the "plagues" hit the farmers around here a few years back, there were locus' EVERYWHERE. If you were out driving, you drove through this thick "cloud" of bugs, and actually had to turn on the wipers. MOST city folk, as the country folks were all out trying to save their crops, stayed inside and boarded up any obvious entrances)
He said that there really was not one present. There was just a "dark cloud" that rolled in, and then the grasshoppers started raining down.
I will have to see if he would not mind getting on here and sharing that with us. As it is told as a story told by another, I do not have all the facts, and I am still questioning him 😆. Good thing he understands how I operate!
Hmmm. I hope akaglowboy can get in contact with you.

Yes... I recently emailed the author by way of inquiry.
No reply as of yet.

Interesting, very interesting.
I also recall the One Step Beyond episode, and recall being more interested in it than what would have seemed "normal" at the time as I was living in California when I caught it on the telly.
I seem to recall a similar "weather related" phenomenon (with SNOW, I believe it was) ALSO coming out of California.
You have me questioning my memory, so I will have to check that out. I can not even really get a feel for the year, but if I am not mistaken, it was right around the 1940's or so.
Thanks akaglowboy, for jogging my memory. I will have to run to catch up!
Thank you.

The ONE STEP BEYOND series originally aired on ABC rather than CBS---oops.

The episode featuring the shower of stones cited in my previous post first aired on DEC. 13, 1960 on "One Step Beyond", which was a nonfiction paranormal dramatization series originally aired on CBS.
The episode was entitled: 'Where Are They?', and it dramatized events that took place in Chico, California in NOV. 1921.

Nothing yet found on invisible rainfall.

This story is truly paranormal.
It out freaks many a "ghost" story on this site, and is more baffling as well.
No moisture on the skin is reported.
Just raindrops that were not seen.
This account would qualify for airtime on The Twilight Zone or on One Step Beyond even if there is a scientific explanation for it.
The closest I can come to comparing this story with anything I've heard of is an alleged true-life shower of fish descending suddenly upon an 18th century town out of the clear sky.
The next closest is a shower of stones from a plain sky that was said to be based on a real event; it was presented in the fictive format of either One Step Beyond or Twilight Zone.

At any rate, I for one am convinced that this story has found a home; it belongs on YGS as well as any other does.

I think you have the right to consider this a paranormal experience if that is how you felt when the occurance happened. Obviously there was something to this phenomenom or your friend would not have felt uncomfortable also.

Don't let others discourage you. Often our brain can process these happenings and just KNOW something is not right. When we then try to write it out... Something gets lost in the translation.

I enjoyed this story,

God Bless!

Dear akaglowboy,

Actually, when I was reading your story I never thought much about why this story was on a ghost story site or not. Though, now brought up by Martin (ha, ha), I am wondering. You mother being frightened also did not come into the picture either. Honestly, I just thought this story to be your own personal experience.

As I have stated similarly, in past and previous comments on this site, the experience belongs to the "experiencer". In the end, the "experiencer"is the one who has the responsibility, as well as the resulting consequences to choose the interpretation, explanation and outcome of what they themselves conclude happened to them. This is based on their own life foundation which is made up of thier own personal life experinces and belief system. It does not matter what another person thinks, knows, or offers as an explanation or evidence, it is still up to the "experiencer" to decide for themselves. Regardless, human beings always ends up deciding and choosing their own, personal explanation for their reality no matter what Even not choosing or non-action is still a personal choice, experience and perceived reality.

My comment was but a suggestion to you and others, to investigate first before making a final conclusion and decided judgment about any life experience, paranormal or not.

akaglowboy, it is still your story and your experience. It is also your responsibility to decide and explain to yourself what happened to you and what you experienced, not mine. I can only share with you my own personal interpretation. In this case, I never did say I had one nor did I say I believed or disbelieved. For me, the jury is still out, and I prefer more investigation and information. Your story did not state you had any explanation yourself or that you had investigated and what you found. I can only take your story and other author's stories here at their face value or by what details they have chosen to put in or leave out of a personal story or experience. If the author wishes better communication with readers/posters, it is up to the author to inform the reader of these details. If an author already knows the explanation and/or has done their research, in all fairness, this information should also be given out to the reader/poster as well. I also believe, in my opinion, if an author already has an expectation of what readers should conclude about their personal story or experience, they should state this too. This may save time, expended life energy and less ruffled feathers for all parties (authors and readers/posters).

Thanks, another rainfall droplet of enlightening knowledge shared and not invisible. --Abby

Martin, thank you for publishing my story. Truth be told if I had just experienced this without the issue of my mother freaking out I probably would have wrote the whole thing off as creepy/unexplained and left it at that.

I have to say that if the story was just about some invisible rain sensation, I wouldn't have considered it a ghost story and published it, but considering that it is happening within the context of his mother freaking out without reasons, I thought there might be something to it.

Another person was with me feeling the same thing so I've ruled out that it was a self-generated sensation. We both felt the "rain" and wetness but were dry when we ran inside. We looked hard with and without flashlights but neither of us could see it so there was definitely something there, that was not visible to our eyes. There is a weather condition (called virga I think) that causes a sort of "invisible rain" but there has to actual light rain or snow first and it was a clear night. In addition, we should have had moisture on us afterwards, which we didn't. I only experienced this in the first place because my mother woke up with a stark, seemingly (at the time) irrational terror that something was wrong. She would not even go near the back door, which is why we went out to check.

I agree... I don't know why I did not see that before... I agree with Abby. THis may be a weather thing. It could even be a thing like you remember something and you think you feel rain but it is not really there. One time I thought I smelled a campfire but it was not there. I don't know what they call it but it is remembering a smell that's not there. Maybe you remembered a feeling. The feeling of rain.

Ceary

Hi akaglowboy,
I have to agree with Abby. It sounds like a strange type of mist or fog. Although very creepy indeed. =)

xxx

Dear akaglowboy,

You may want to do some homework and research about same or similar occurrences. You may also wish to consult a meteorologist. There may have been a very brief light shower, condensation, animal droppings, airplane spraying/waste or a number of things in the atmosphere that may have come down. Begin there before concluding that it is anything paranormal first.--Abby

? 😲 WOW. I agree with Torig1230. That is very creepy. Invisible rain. I don't know what it could be but it was definately ghostly or something like that. I have never heard of this...

Ceary

amazing. So, you couldn't see the rain, but did you get wet? That is very creepy.