Excessive springtime rainfall is a phenomenon virtually exclusive to the United States. Many other areas on both hemispheres including parts of Canada to the Philippines, to name a few, the rainy season occur in one of the other three seasons, and is typically followed by a dry period. So…what exactly warrants this strange occurrence? It is a seemingly childlike question, one which few adults have the correct answer to. There are several theories out there on this subject. Here’s what you need to know about rain during the spring in the United States of America.
RELATIVE WARMTH AND EVAPORATION
Ask a scientist about this, and you are likely to receive the following answer: In the spring and summer months, Earths surface becomes increasingly heated via solar radiation, and convection current formation substantially increases. This process leads to the formation of more clouds, which result in more rain in the United States, namely in the tropical and temperate zones.
In layman’s terms, this popular scientific consensus on this weather phenomenon simply states: Water from precipitation is less likely to evaporate and return to the air as water vapor during dryer seasons, making rainy spells-few occur few-and-far between one another. As the spring and summer gradually return with more warmth from the sun, water vapor lingers less, fully evaporating and reoccurring as precipitation. This shift is believed to be what triggers frequent rainstorms in the spring months. Out of all of these theories, this one seems the most viable. See, it’s not rocket science! It just sounds that way.
IT’S PURELY PSYCHOLOGICAL
Another theory regarding rain in the United States during spring is that we simply don’t notice rain during the winter because water takes different forms: Snow, ice, and fog, in particular. When the weather is finally warm enough to allow liquid precipitation, atypically around March in most places, it is such a drastic change that we automatically assume that it is raining more frequently – which is partially true.
GLOBAL WARMING
Regardless of your personal beliefs on the issue, the concept of global warming is relatively simple to understand: The earth’s temperature, over an extended period of time, is gradually increasing – particularly in relation to the Industrial Revolution. It this is in fact, correct, some people speculate that this is the reason that certain areas of the United States receive substantial rainfall only in the spring months. Similarly, there is a reverse argument that holds global cooling suspect.
