Rain

Rain is a type of weather that occurs occasionally in Minecraft.

Behavior
Rain is a semi-common temporary, global occurrence that can happen randomly at any time within the Overworld. In colder biomes, and at certain altitudes, it snows instead. In warmer biomes, and in other dimensions, it does not rain at all.

The average rainfall lasts 0.5–1 Minecraft day, and there is a 0.5–7.5 day delay between rains. Rain has a small chance to worsen into thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms can be skipped entirely with the use of a bed.

Effects


Rains darkens the world, causing the light from the sun to decrease by 3, bringing it to light level 12 in full daylight. Moonlight, however, is not reduced, and remains at light level 4. The sky itself darkens (even in biomes where it does not rain), to the point where celestial bodies (the sun, moon, and stars) are no longer visible. While flying, rain also decreases visibility on land. The clouds darken from white to a light gray, although clouds themselves do not precipitate. Although the sun is not visible during rain, the glow associated with sunrise and sunset is still visible.

Rain extinguishes fires (including flaming arrows ), although it does not extinguish lit campfires or fires on netherrack or magma blocks. Rain does not solidify lava, and does not empty lava cauldrons $$. Mobs on fire are quenched on contact with rain, preventing skeletons, strays, zombies, zombie villagers, drowned, and phantoms from burning during the day. During rain, drowned can leave bodies of water when chasing a target, as if it were night time. Endermen and snow golems may die due to their weakness to water; they take damage at a rate of per half second. Endermen teleport randomly until they find a dry place. Blazes and Striders that are brought into the Overworld also take damage on contact with rain.

At a certain biome-dependent elevation, the rain becomes snowfall, resulting in huge natural mountains having snow on the peaks while it is raining on the ground. Each biome has a certain temperature, and temperatures below 0.15 turn rain into snow. Temperature drops by 0.0016 per meter above sea level, so at high elevations it can be cold enough to snow despite there normally being rain instead.

Other effects caused by rain:


 * While fishing, there is shorter wait time on average to get a bite during rain.
 * Wolves shake themselves dry if they are not moving (certain versions only).
 * Farmland becomes hydrated if it is not already.
 * Rain fills up cauldrons with water, albeit slowly.
 * Tridents enchanted with Riptide can be used on land.
 * Tridents with the Impaling enchantment deals more damage during rain.
 * Villagers enter houses and stop their daily schedule.

Rain particles
Rain particles make noise when they hit a block, and this noise can be heard at any point within 16 blocks. These particles (along with the associated sound) can be disabled by setting Particles to "Minimal" in the Video Settings menu. Although rain particles are visible just in the immediate vicinity, its effects occur within all loaded areas. Note that raindrops fall only in the two middle lines of a block, thus do not visibly fall directly onto the player. At y=1 and below, rain does not generate particles and the associated sound event.

Raindrops fall through ladders, vines, carpets, redstone repeaters, snow layers, mob heads, flower pots, barriers and cobwebs. They are stopped by signs, banners, doors, fences, fence gates, trapdoors, pressure plates, glass panes and iron bars.

Trivia



 * Rain actually falls one block into the void (Layer -1). This can be seen in Creative Mode by floating in the Void. Note that no particles are emitted from the rain, due to the absence of a block below it.
 * Rain still falls above the clouds. Notch's explanation is that the gray above the clouds during a storm is another layer of clouds and the origin of the rain.
 * Raindrop splash particles can be seen on top of blocks of layer 255 at most, even in biomes where it cannot rain.