Re: Why doesn't rain fall straight down to the Earth?

Greetings Dana,

Gravity rules, and it ALWAYS pulls things toward the center of the earth - 
that is, straight down. If you see rain falling at an angle, it's because 
there is some wind. Look sometime at smoke from a chimney on a day that 
feels calm, and it is almost always rising at an angle due to slight winds. 
If rain is very fine, it is extremely easy for a light breeze to make it go 
sideways. The heavier the raindrops (the more inertia they have), the more 
wind it takes to shift them sideways. When a rainstorm is moving through 
your area, remember that it is MOVING. If you set up a decent anemometer 
(protected from the rain but not the wind) with a nice, low-friction 
bearing, you should see it rotating a bit even when it feels nearly calm 
outside. Even if only at couple of miles per hour, wind can still carry the 
drops sideways a bit as they fall. Hope this answers your question. Keep 
observing.

Paul Odgren
Cell Biology
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Worcester MA