Orographic precipitation: Quick Facts

Written and fact-checked by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Photos

Diagram showing orographic lift, where moist air rises up the green, windward side of a mountain, cools and forms clouds with precipitation, while the opposite, brown lee side remains dry in the rain shadow.

See All Images →

Topics

spillover Rain shadow Precipitation orographic cloud Rain Snow Hail Sleet Fog drip Does it rain on other planets?Aerosol

Umbrella colored like a rainbow sticking out above a sea of black umbrellas while it rains. (storm, weather)

Weather Words Vocabulary Quiz

Thunderstorm cumulonimbus clouds above Montana. weather storm thunderstorm atmospheric disturbance cumulonimbus clouds thunder and lightning Homepage blog 2011, science and technology

Clouds and Cloud Types

rain. Child in the rain, wearing a rain coat, under a yellow umbrella. April Showers weather climate rain storm water drops

April Showers to March’s Lions and Lambs

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Water and its Varying Forms

Iceland, Glacier lagoon (Jokulsarlon)

Winter Weather Words Quiz

Lightning over a farm field. Weather electricity thunderstorm light energy tree

Facts You Should Know: Weather Quiz