It begins with liquid water flowing across the land (known as runoff), and into the ground where it’s absorbed by plants. The water evaporates from the plants, or from runoff, and into the atmosphere (known as transpiration). The evaporated water comes together to form clouds, that’s eventually becomes to heavy to hold and it starts to rain (precipitation). If the atmosphere is cold enough, solid snow and ice and form directly from the gas ( known as sublimation). The perceptions of rain, snow, or hail falls back to the earth where it melts (for snow and hail) and becomes rain water again.