Copper Harbor Virga

February 12, 2008

021208  

Provided by: Sharon Smith
Summary authors & editors: Sharon Smith 

The photo above shows a webcam view of virga and a lovely sunset over Copper Harbor, Michigan. A couple of fast-moving squalls came through the area earlier in the afternoon but very little precipitation actually made it to the surface. Virga is precipitation that evaporates before reaching the ground. In general, virga originates from clouds having an altitude between about 7,000 (2,134 m) and 15,000 feet (4,572 m).

Photo taken on October 27, 2007, at 7:25 p.m. Copper Harbor is located on Lake Superior at the north end of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula -- the hill in the distance is called Brockway Mountain.