What happens to showery precipitation when the air is unstable?

In unstable air, the atmosphere is characterized by thermal updrafts that can lead to the rapid development and dissipation of showery precipitation. When instability is present, it allows for strong vertical motions. This means that showers can form rapidly but are often accompanied by a quick start and end, rather than being consistent or prolonged. Such instability does not tend to improve visibility; instead, it can cause varying conditions within the same area due to the rapid changes in weather. The showers can be intense but of short duration, resulting in a phenomenon where visibility may fluctuate significantly.

While unstable conditions can generate brief periods of reduced visibility due to heavy showers or rapidly developing convection, the correct answer highlights the dynamic nature of precipitation under these conditions. Rather than becoming steady rain or leading to light drizzle, showery precipitation in unstable air typically dissipates quickly as the conditions change. Thus, understanding how instability affects precipitation helps clarify why quick dissipation is the expected outcome in this context.