Nonsense. "Virga" is a latin word. Has been for some 2000+ years. It means "twig", or "branch". It continued to be a latin word when Luke Howard introduced the latin-based cloud classification system (why we use "cirrus", "stratus" "cumulous" etc etc) in 1803. And when the World Meteorological Organization adopted his system and published the International Cloud Atlas in 1956, guess what; "virga" was still a latin word.

Cloud classification - AMS Glossary

At no point ever did "virga" suddenly become "V.I.R.G.A." or "VIRGA", it's always been "virga". Period.

You won't find this BS forced acronym anywhere in AIM:
https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publ.../media/aim.pdf

You won't find the stupid acronym in any of these FAA publications:

00-06A Aviation Weather for Pilots and Flight Operations Personnel
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/m...Chap%204-6.pdf (page 39)
http://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/m...2016-Index.pdf (definitions)

The ubiquitous PHAK, page 12-7
https://www.faa.gov/regulations_poli...t_handbook.pdf


If you look up "virga" in NOAA's National Weather Service Glossary (NOAA's National Weather Service - Glossary), you get this:Virga Streaks or wisps of precipitation falling from a cloud but evaporating before reaching the ground. In certain cases, shafts of virga may precede a microburst.

The Wikipedia entry for "virga" makes absolutely ZERO mention of "Variable Intensity Rainfall Gradient Aloft" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virga

Nor does the Websters Dictionary: Virga | Definition of Virga by Merriam-Webster

I've been in this industry now some 20 years. 5 jobs, 5 ground schools. I also have two years worked as a NOAA Certified Weather Observer under my belt. Never before I came to Spirit did I EVER hear anyone try tell me that "virga" was actually an acronym, until some Riddle rat stood in front of me and spouted that nonsense.

I reached out to a buddy of mine currently working the weather desk at Delta; with an additional 20 years of experience both in the Navy and Air Force as a Weather Guesser, he's never heard "virga" to be an acronym.

Also, I'm not buying that the Brits were using it in acronym form back in the 40's. Unless you can cite some references, I'm calling nonsense on that claim; the Brits are far to anal about "proper procedures" to ever introduce some nonsense like "well, old chap, perhaps you were not aware, but did you know that virga, a word some 2000 years old, actually means "Variable Intensity Rainfall Gradient Aloft? I did not, good sir. Jolly good then sir, you have been schooled! Huzzah good sir! Huzzah indeed."

Huzzah indeed.