It’s only drizzling a little… so why are you soaking wet?

You glance outside before heading out the door.

Grey sky. A few drops on the window. But really raining? No, not at all.

“It’s only drizzling a bit. You don’t really need a jacket.”

Fifteen minutes later, you’re thinking differently. Your hair is damp, your glasses are covered in droplets, and your sweater suddenly feels a lot less comfortable.

How so? It was barely raining, wasn’t it?

Welcome to drizzle. Small in size, but quite good at getting you soaked without you noticing. 😉

What exactly is drizzle?

In regular rain, you can see and feel individual drops falling. Drizzle consists of much smaller droplets: usually smaller than half a millimetre.

You can barely hear them on the windowsill. But you do notice them outside. On your face, on your glasses, and as a fine layer of moisture on your sleeves.

So the difference lies in the size of the drops. Not in whether or not you can get wet from them.

How do those tiny droplets get there?

It starts in a cloud. Tiny water droplets are suspended there, which can grow and merge with one another. When they become large enough, they fall.

In drizzle, the falling droplets remain small. They often come from a low, grey layer of clouds. No spectacular thunderstorm cloud, but rather a uniform grey ceiling above your head.

Exactly the kind of sky that makes you think from the kitchen: I don’t think it’s raining.

Until you open the back door. 😉

Is drizzle then the same as mist?

They can look alike, but they are not the same. In mist, tiny water droplets float in the air just above the ground. It’s as if you’re standing in a cloud, and you can’t see very far.

Drizzle falls from a cloud. The droplets are larger than the tiny droplets that remain suspended in mist.

Mist hangs, drizzle falls. That’s a handy way to remember the difference.

And yes, it can be misty and drizzling at the same time. Outside, the weather doesn’t always neatly stick to one category.

Why does it still make you so wet, then?

Because all those tiny droplets don’t stop after the first minute.

Taking the bin out is different from walking for half an hour. As you keep walking, droplets continue to land on your hair, shoulders, and sleeves.

Not only how hard it rains matters, but also how long you walk through it.

And that’s exactly what you’re likely to forget with drizzle. In a heavy downpour, you immediately pull up your hood. In a bit of drizzle, you’re quick to think: it’s not that bad.

Until you get home and your jacket is hanging over the chair to dry.

Why does it sometimes seem like it will never stop?

During a downpour, you often look at the sky: it’s already getting lighter there, you just have to wait a little longer.

With drizzle, you sometimes can’t see that break in the clouds anywhere. The low layer of clouds can cover a large area. As long as it stays there and continues to form droplets that reach the ground, it can keep drizzling quietly.

That doesn’t mean drizzle always lasts for hours. But waiting for “the end of the shower” doesn’t work so well when the same grey cloud cover hangs above you.

You make another cup of coffee. Look outside again.

Still the same weather.

Maybe you should just grab that jacket and go after all?

That typical “should I wear a jacket or not?” weather

In autumn, you’re sure to recognize that hesitation. It doesn’t look very cold outside, but it’s not completely dry either.

The dog needs to go out. You wanted to pop into the shop for a moment. Or you just felt like getting some fresh air.

Then it’s nice to have a jacket hanging on the coat rack that you can grab without thinking. Not necessarily your heaviest winter jacket, but something that suits both the temperature and what you’re going to do outside.

Because a quick stroll becomes a lot more enjoyable when you’re not just thinking about dry sleeves halfway through.

A few small things to make being outside more comfortable

• Take your hood seriously. Put it up before your hair gets wet. Check that it fits comfortably and that you can still see well around you.
• Think about how long you’ll be outside. A short walk to the car requires something different than a long walk. Choose your jacket accordingly.
• Look beyond your jacket. Your shoes and bag will get those droplets too. Especially if you’re going out for longer, a bit of protection there is also nice.

Still want to go for that walk? 🍂

Once you’re outside, a grey day like this is often not bad at all. Droplets on the leaves, fresh air, and then back inside to get nice and warm.

You don’t have to wait for a bright blue sky to go outside for a bit.

But that jacket? I’d still take it with me.

A new favourite for your coat rack

Are you still missing a jacket you love to wear? So many lovely new items have arrived at Hipinderegen.

Take a look at the new colours and styles. Maybe your next favourite will be hanging by the door soon.

Discover what’s new at Hipinderegen

Not sure which jacket suits your plans? Just let me know, and I’ll help you choose.