In miles per hour, how fast does rain fall when wind is not a factor?

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 21, 2002

Answers

My first thought was that it would have to be the force of gravity, but I am pretty sure that isn't feasible. So I will say 20mph...

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 21, 2002.

32 feet/second?

-- Christine in OK (cljford@mmcable.com), February 21, 2002.

Ladie, if the rain fell that fast we would be in pain everytime we got caught out in it.~

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 21, 2002.

Ok, 10 mph!

That is what I thought at first 32 feet per second is gravity (I think) and I also remember something like 9.8 meters per second squared, as something too, it all gets mixed up, I am getting old!!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), February 21, 2002.

Thats still too fast.~

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 21, 2002.

Mitch, here in the rain forest, I have nothing to do day after day after day.....but to watch it rain. I can tell you, rain is a variable speed weather phenomenon.

It depends on the shape of the rain drop. Flat rain is much slower than needle shaped rain. Small particle rain floats to the earth. Large drop shaped rain falls straight down. Sometimes, it is like it is shot from the sky and they do hurt! Sometimes it is like living inside a carwash.

The biggest raindrop splat we've measured was solid eight inches across before it splashed out.

Todays forecast, rain turning to showers. Some fog and low clouds. Temperature 43 degrees, humidity 100%. I Expect to see salmon or steelhead swim past my window today.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), February 21, 2002.

8:30 at night, the NWS claims that 7 mph is the average speed of rain falling.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), February 21, 2002.