Most of Earth's rain and snow comes from where?
Evaporation of water from the oceans which condenses in the upper atmosphere and falls as snow, water, sleet and/or other kinds of precipitation.
Of course, lakes furnish moisture in some parts of the USA.
This is called "Lake effect snow" specifically.
Most of Earth's rain and snow comes from the process of water cycle, also known as the hydrological cycle. This cycle involves the continuous movement of water between the Earth's surface, atmosphere, and back again.
Here's how it works:
1. Evaporation: First, water from oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water is heated by the sun, causing it to change from a liquid to a gas called water vapor. This process is known as evaporation.
2. Condensation: As the warm air rises, it cools down and the water vapor condenses into tiny water droplets, forming clouds. This is called condensation.
3. Precipitation: When the water droplets in the clouds become heavy enough, they fall from the clouds as precipitation, which can occur in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail, depending on the temperature of the air.
4. Collection: The precipitation that falls to the Earth's surface collects in bodies of water such as oceans, lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers. From there, the cycle starts again with evaporation.
It's important to note that the water cycle is a continuous and interconnected process, so the water that falls as rain or snow in one area can eventually evaporate, move through the atmosphere, and fall again in another location. Therefore, Earth's rain and snow can come from a variety of sources, including oceans, lakes, rivers, and even evaporated water from plants and soil.