Which scenario is likely to occur if there is an inversion above?

The scenario in which warm rain can fall through cold air below is a typical situation that can arise in the presence of a temperature inversion. Inversions occur when a layer of warm air traps cooler air at the surface, which can have significant implications for weather patterns and precipitation.

When warm rain falls from the upper atmosphere, it may start to cool as it descends into the colder air below the inversion layer. However, if the raindrops are sufficiently large, they may not completely evaporate or freeze before reaching the surface, allowing warm rain to effectively "pierce" through the colder air. This phenomenon can lead to interesting weather dynamics, such as the potential for light rain or drizzle at the ground level, even when the surrounding air is much colder.

In contrast to this scenario, temperature inversions typically result in stable atmospheric conditions, where air near the surface is trapped by warmer air aloft, preventing convection that would lead to high winds, continuous temperature decreases with altitude, or consistent visibility improvements throughout all altitudes.