Precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, and hail.
Precipitation is an important component of the hydrological cycle. It supplies water for plants to grow, soaks into the soil and feeds river and lakes, which eventually drain to the ocean. Water from plants, soil, and the oceans evaporates back into the atmosphere. There it forms clouds and returns to the Earth surface as precipitation. Over much of the Arctic, precipitation amounts are low. Some areas are called polar deserts and receive as little precipitation as the Sahara desert. However, the Atlantic sector of the Arctic, between Greenland and Scandinavia is an exception. Storms forming in the Atlantic Ocean bring moisture up into this area, especially in winter. Almost all precipitation in the central Arctic and over land falls as snow in winter. However, rain can occur on rare occasions during winter in the central Arctic ocean when warm air is transported into this region. Snow also falls in summer. More than half of the precipitation events at the North Pole are snowfall. Over the Atlantic sector, snow is very rare in summer.
How does Precipitation influence weather?
Precipitation and temperature (in this order) are the main factors (although there are others) that define weather and climate. Even though precipitation may not be the cause, it sustains most weather events (such as tropical cyclones, severe storms, cold fronts). This is because the release of latent heat from condensation in the precipitation process provides energy for atmospheric motion in these weather events. Citation: https://www.quora.com/How-does-precipitation-affect-weather-and-climate