How Fast Do Raindrops Fall? - The Weather Guys

Home » How Fast Do Raindrops Fall » How Fast Do Raindrops Fall? - The Weather Guys

Maybe your like

The Weather Guys Skip to content Search for: ← How does this summer compare to last summer? How do weather radars work? → How fast do raindrops fall? Posted on September 10, 2013 by Weather Guys Editor

The typical speed of a falling raindrop depends on the size of the drop. Gravity pulls everything downward. As an object falls, it experiences a frictional drag that counters the downward force of gravity. When the gravity and frictional drag are balanced, we have an equilibrium fall speed that is known as the terminal velocity of the object. The terminal velocity depends on the size, shape and mass of the raindrop and the density of the air. Thus, it is worth talking a bit about the shape and size of raindrops.

While cartoonists typically draw raindrops in a teardrop or pear shape, raindrops are not shaped in those forms. They are drawn as teardrops to give the image of falling through the atmosphere, which they do.

As the raindrops fall they are flattened and shaped like a hamburger bun by the drag forces of the air they are falling through. Raindrops are at least 0.5 millimeters (or 0.02 inches) in diameter. You will not find a raindrop any bigger than about one-quarter of an inch in diameter; larger than that, the drop will break apart into smaller drops because of the air resistance. Precipitation drops smaller than 0.02 inches in diameter are collectively called drizzle, which is often associated with stratus clouds.

The terminal velocity of cloud droplets, which are typically about 10 microns in radius or 0.0004 inches, is about 1 centimeter per second, or about 0.02 miles per hour. Tiny cloud droplets can stay in the atmosphere because there is upward moving air that overcomes the force of gravity and keeps them suspended in the cloud. Only a very gentle upward movement of air is required to keep them afloat.

Raindrops are larger. A large raindrop, about one-quarter of an inch across or about the size of a house fly, has terminal fall speeds of about 10 meters per second or about 20 mph. That kind of speed can cause compaction and erosion of the soil by their force of impact. Raindrops are of different sizes, and the smaller raindrops are traveling about 2 mph.

Category: Meteorology Comments Off on How fast do raindrops fall? ← How does this summer compare to last summer? How do weather radars work? →

Comments are closed.

  • September 2013
    S M T W T F S
    1234567
    891011121314
    15161718192021
    22232425262728
    2930
    « Aug Oct »

  • Archives

    Archives Select Month December 2025 (4) November 2025 (4) October 2025 (4) September 2025 (5) August 2025 (4) July 2025 (5) June 2025 (4) May 2025 (4) April 2025 (4) March 2025 (6) February 2025 (4) January 2025 (4) December 2024 (5) November 2024 (4) October 2024 (4) September 2024 (5) August 2024 (4) July 2024 (5) June 2024 (3) May 2024 (4) April 2024 (5) March 2024 (4) February 2024 (4) January 2024 (5) December 2023 (4) November 2023 (4) October 2023 (5) September 2023 (4) August 2023 (4) July 2023 (5) June 2023 (4) May 2023 (5) April 2023 (4) March 2023 (4) February 2023 (4) January 2023 (5) December 2022 (4) November 2022 (4) October 2022 (5) September 2022 (4) August 2022 (5) July 2022 (4) June 2022 (5) May 2022 (4) April 2022 (4) March 2022 (4) February 2022 (4) January 2022 (5) December 2021 (3) November 2021 (5) October 2021 (4) September 2021 (4) August 2021 (4) July 2021 (4) June 2021 (5) May 2021 (4) April 2021 (4) March 2021 (6) February 2021 (4) January 2021 (4) December 2020 (4) November 2020 (5) October 2020 (4) September 2020 (4) August 2020 (5) July 2020 (4) June 2020 (5) May 2020 (4) April 2020 (4) March 2020 (6) February 2020 (4) January 2020 (4) December 2019 (4) November 2019 (4) October 2019 (4) September 2019 (4) August 2019 (4) July 2019 (4) June 2019 (4) May 2019 (4) April 2019 (5) March 2019 (4) February 2019 (4) January 2019 (5) December 2018 (3) November 2018 (4) October 2018 (5) September 2018 (3) August 2018 (4) July 2018 (4) June 2018 (3) May 2018 (4) April 2018 (5) March 2018 (4) February 2018 (4) January 2018 (5) December 2017 (3) November 2017 (4) October 2017 (4) September 2017 (4) August 2017 (4) July 2017 (5) June 2017 (4) May 2017 (4) April 2017 (4) March 2017 (4) February 2017 (4) January 2017 (4) December 2016 (1) November 2016 (3) October 2016 (5) September 2016 (3) August 2016 (3) July 2016 (3) June 2016 (5) May 2016 (4) April 2016 (4) March 2016 (4) February 2016 (5) January 2016 (4) December 2015 (3) November 2015 (5) October 2015 (3) September 2015 (4) August 2015 (5) July 2015 (4) June 2015 (4) May 2015 (4) April 2015 (4) March 2015 (5) February 2015 (4) January 2015 (4) December 2014 (4) November 2014 (4) October 2014 (3) September 2014 (5) August 2014 (4) July 2014 (5) June 2014 (4) May 2014 (4) April 2014 (5) March 2014 (5) February 2014 (3) January 2014 (3) December 2013 (5) November 2013 (4) October 2013 (5) September 2013 (4) August 2013 (4) July 2013 (5) June 2013 (2) May 2013 (4) April 2013 (5) March 2013 (3) February 2013 (4) January 2013 (4) December 2012 (5) November 2012 (5) October 2012 (4) September 2012 (4) August 2012 (4) July 2012 (5) June 2012 (4) May 2012 (4) April 2012 (5) March 2012 (3) February 2012 (4) January 2012 (5) December 2011 (4) November 2011 (4) October 2011 (4) September 2011 (4) August 2011 (5) July 2011 (4) June 2011 (4) May 2011 (5) April 2011 (2) March 2011 (2) February 2011 (4) January 2011 (4)

  • Categories

    Categories Select Category Climate (208) History (62) Meteorology (432) Phenomena (147) Seasons (286) Severe Weather (162) Tropical (48) Uncategorized (57) Weather Dangers (63)

  • WeatherGuys Links

    • AOS
    • CIMSS
    • SSEC
    • SSEC Satellite Imagery
    • UW-Madison
    • Virtual Science from UW-Madison

CIMSS logo

The Weather Guys

Tag » How Fast Do Raindrops Fall