A list of words for rain, suitable for use by Pacific Northwesterners.
Light rain. You think you don’t need a raincoat when you go out, but after an hour or so you are soaked.
Rain that passes through a layer of sub-freezing air. Distinct from snain in that it does not form flakes. Hurts when it hits your face.
Any rain driven by strong wind.
A drizzle, usually in very still air, that gets you wet even when you’re wearing a raincoat or using an umbrella.
Steady cold drizzle for hours on end, most common in winter
Warm, windy rain, blowing directly off the Pacific, usually from the south-to-west.
Huge snowflakes falling when the air is just at the point of freezing, that melt instantly and do not accumulate
Snow and sleet, only barely “rain” in the vaguest sense. May accumulate, but is too cold and wet for anything fun like sledding or making snowpeople.
Rain broken by occasional patches of sunshine, most common in spring
Snow mixed with rain. May also contain sleet, freezing rain, or sneet. Distinct from snain in that it may accumulate as slush.