diff --git a/Environment/environment.xml b/Environment/environment.xml
index ec2eae7b5..f540cb9f8 100644
--- a/Environment/environment.xml
+++ b/Environment/environment.xml
@@ -429,7 +429,8 @@
   <moonlight type="double" userarchive="n">0.0</moonlight>
  <!-- config for noctilucent cloud generation -->
   <create-noctilucent-clouds type="bool" userarchive="n">false</create-noctilucent-clouds>
-  <!-- definitions for the environment at surface interface -->
+ 
+ <!-- definitions for the environment at surface interface -->
   <surface>
     <scattering type="double" userarchive="n">0.7</scattering>
     <dust-cover-factor type="double" userarchive="y">0.0</dust-cover-factor>
@@ -437,4 +438,14 @@
     <wetness type="double" userarchive="y">0.0</wetness>
     <snow-thickness-factor type="double" userarchive="y">1.0</snow-thickness-factor>
   </surface>
+
+ <!-- definitions for the detailed precipitation manager -->
+ <precipitation-control>
+     <rain-droplet-size type="float" userarchive="n">0.015</rain-droplet-size>
+     <snow-flake-size type="float" userarchive="n">0.03</snow-flake-size>
+     <detailed-precipitation type="bool" userarchive="n">false</detailed-precipitation>
+     <illumination type="float" userarchive="n">1.0</illumination>
+     <clip-distance type="float" userarchive="n">5.0</clip-distance>
+  </precipitation-control>
+
 </PropertyList>
diff --git a/Environment/local-weather-rules.xml b/Environment/local-weather-rules.xml
index 92a4fed77..810dbe58a 100644
--- a/Environment/local-weather-rules.xml
+++ b/Environment/local-weather-rules.xml
@@ -801,4 +801,37 @@
     <output>/environment/tree-season</output>
   </filter>
   
+
+  <filter>
+    <name>EnvironmentInterpolator:Precipitation:Illumination</name>
+    <type>gain</type>
+    <enable>
+      <condition>
+	<property>/environment/precipitation-control/detailed-precipitation</property>
+      </condition>
+     </enable>
+     <input>
+       <expression>
+         <sum>
+           <property>/rendering/scene/diffuse/red</property>
+	   <value>0.3</value>
+	   <product>
+              <property>/sim/rendering/als-secondary-lights/use-searchlight</property>
+	      <value>0.3</value>
+           </product>
+	   <product>
+              <property>/sim/rendering/als-secondary-lights/use-landing-light</property>
+	      <value>0.3</value>
+           </product>
+	   <product>
+              <property>/sim/rendering/als-secondary-lights/use-alt-landing-light</property>
+	      <value>0.3</value>
+           </product>
+         </sum>
+       </expression>
+     </input>
+     <output>/environment/precipitation-control/illumination</output>
+     <min>0.0</min>
+     <max>1.0</max>
+  </filter>
 </PropertyList>
diff --git a/Nasal/local_weather/compat_layer.nas b/Nasal/local_weather/compat_layer.nas
index 655d0da6c..bcd4f98f6 100644
--- a/Nasal/local_weather/compat_layer.nas
+++ b/Nasal/local_weather/compat_layer.nas
@@ -170,9 +170,13 @@ setprop("/environment/clouds/layer[0]/elevation-ft",0.0);
 # layer wrapping off
 setprop("/sim/rendering/clouds3d-wrap",0);
 
-# rain altitude limit off 
+# rain altitude limit off, detailed precipitation control on
 
 props.globals.getNode("/environment/params/use-external-precipitation-level").setBoolValue("true");
+props.globals.getNode("/environment/precipitation-control/detailed-precipitation").setBoolValue("true");
+
+
+# set skydome unloading off
 
 setprop("/sim/rendering/minimum-sky-visibility", 0.0);
 
@@ -246,7 +250,7 @@ setprop("/environment/local-weather-lift-fps",lift);
 }
 
 ####################################
-# set rain to given value
+# set rain properties
 ####################################
 
 var setRain = func (rain) {
@@ -254,8 +258,14 @@ var setRain = func (rain) {
 setprop("/environment/rain-norm", rain);
 }
 
+
+var setRainDropletSize = func (size) {
+
+setprop("/environment/precipitation-control/rain-droplet-size", size);
+}
+
 ####################################
-# set snow to given value
+# set snow properties
 ####################################
 
 var setSnow = func (snow) {
@@ -263,6 +273,12 @@ var setSnow = func (snow) {
 setprop("/environment/snow-norm", snow);
 }
 
+var setSnowFlakeSize = func (size) {
+
+setprop("/environment/precipitation-control/snow-flake-size", size);
+}
+
+
 
 ####################################
 # set turbulence to given value
diff --git a/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas b/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas
index 3aa3e51ac..b95aac1af 100644
--- a/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas
+++ b/Nasal/local_weather/local_weather.nas
@@ -1746,6 +1746,10 @@ weather_tiles.rnd_store = rand();
 
 setprop("/sim/rendering/clouds3d-wrap",1);
 
+# hand precipitation control back to automatic
+
+props.globals.getNode("/environment/precipitation-control/detailed-precipitation").setBoolValue("false");
+
 # indicate that we are no longer running
 
 
diff --git a/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas b/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas
index 97ed28037..d7af88004 100644
--- a/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas
+++ b/Nasal/local_weather/weather_tiles.nas
@@ -2900,6 +2900,14 @@ else
 	x=-24000.0; y=-15000.0 +rand() *30000.0; 
 	local_weather.create_streak("Nimbus",lat+get_lat(x,y,phi), lon+get_lon(x,y,phi), alt_eff,500.0,4,1310.0,0.0,1500.0,12,1310.0,0.2,500.0,alpha,1.0);
 	
+# rain droplet size for Nimbus clouds is medium
+
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.015 + rand() * 0.005);
+
+# set the precipitation effect volumes
+
+
+
 if (rain > 0.1)
 	{
 	local_weather.create_effect_volume(3, lat, lon, 20000.0, 20000.0, alpha, 0.0, alt+900.0, 500.0 + (1.0 - 0.5 * rain) * 5500.0, 0.5 * rain , -1, -1, -1,0 ,0.95);
@@ -2937,6 +2945,13 @@ var create_8_8_stratus_rain = func (lat, lon, alt, alpha, rain) {
 create_8_8_stratus(lat, lon, alt, alpha);
 
 
+# rain droplet size for Stratus clouds is small
+
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.01 + rand() * 0.005);
+
+# set the precipitation effect volumes
+
+
 if (rain > 0.1)	
 	{
 	local_weather.create_effect_volume(3, lat, lon, 20000.0, 20000.0, alpha, 0.0, alt, 500.0 + (1.0 - 0.5 * rain) * 5500.0, 0.5 * rain , -1, -1, -1,0 ,-1);
@@ -2990,6 +3005,13 @@ var alt_cloud = alt;
 
 if (local_weather.hardcoded_clouds_flag == 1) {alt_cloud = alt_cloud - 3000.0;}
 
+# rain droplet size for Nimbus clouds is medium
+
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.017 + rand() * 0.007);
+
+# set the precipitation effect volumes
+
+
 for (var i = 0; i < 3; i = i + 1)
 	{
 	var x = 2.0 * (rand()-0.5) * 2000.0 + i * 12000.0 - 12000.0;
@@ -2998,6 +3020,11 @@ for (var i = 0; i < 3; i = i + 1)
 
 	local_weather.create_layer("Nimbus", lat+get_lat(x,y,phi), lon+get_lon(x,y,phi), alt_cloud, 500.0, 12000.0, 7000.0, beta, 1.0, 0.2, 1, 1.0);
 
+
+
+
+
+
 	if (rain > 0.1)
 		{
 		local_weather.create_effect_volume(2, lat+get_lat(x,y,phi), lon+get_lon(x,y,phi), 10000.0, 6000.0, beta, 0.0, alt+900, 500.0 + (1.0-0.5*rain) * 5500.0, 0.5 * rain, -1, -1, -1,0,0.95 );
@@ -3034,6 +3061,14 @@ var alt_cloud = alt;
 
 if (local_weather.hardcoded_clouds_flag == 1) {alt_cloud = alt_cloud - local_weather.offset_map["Stratus"];}
 
+
+# rain droplet size for Stratus clouds is small
+
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.01 + rand() * 0.005);
+
+# set the precipitation effect volumes
+
+
 for (var i = 0; i < 3; i = i + 1)
 	{
 	var x = 2.0 * (rand()-0.5) * 2000.0 + i * 12000.0 - 12000.0;
@@ -4370,6 +4405,11 @@ local_weather.create_layer("Cumulonimbus (cloudlet)", lat, lon, alt_eff+3000.0,
 # set the exclusion region for the Cumulus layer
 append(elat, lat); append(elon, lon); append(erad, 4000.0 * scale * 1.2);
 
+# rain droplet size for Cumulonimbus clouds is large
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.025 + rand() * 0.015);
+
+# set the precipitation effect volumes
+
 # set precipitation, visibility, updraft and turbulence in the cloud
 
 local_weather.create_effect_volume(1, lat, lon, 4000.0 * 0.7 * scale, 4000.0 * 0.7 * scale , 0.0, 0.0, 20000.0, 1100.0, 0.8, -1, 0.6, 15.0,1 ,-1);
@@ -4405,6 +4445,9 @@ local_weather.create_layer("Cumulonimbus (cloudlet)", lat, lon, alt_eff+10000, 1
 # set the exclusion region for the Cumulus layer
 append(elat, lat); append(elon, lon); append(erad, 6000.0 * scale * 1.2);
 
+# rain droplet size for Cumulonimbus clouds is large
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.025 + rand() * 0.015);
+
 # set precipitation, visibility, updraft and turbulence in the cloud
 
 local_weather.create_effect_volume(1, lat, lon, 6000.0 * 0.7 * scale, 6000.0 * 0.7 * scale , 0.0, 0.0, 20000.0, 1100.0, 1.0, -1, 0.8, 20.0,1,-1 );
@@ -4449,6 +4492,10 @@ local_weather.create_layer("Stratus (thin)", lat+get_lat(0,-4000,phi), lon+get_l
 # set the exclusion region for the Cumulus layer
 append(elat, lat); append(elon, lon); append(erad, 7500.0 * scale * 1.2);
 
+# rain droplet size for Cumulonimbus clouds is large
+local_weather.setRainDropletSize(0.025 + rand() * 0.015);
+
+# create the precipitation effect volume
 local_weather.create_effect_volume(1, lat, lon, 7500.0 * 0.7 * scale, 7500.0 * 0.7 * scale , 0.0, 0.0, 20000.0, 1100.0, 1.0, -1, 1.0, 25.0,1,-1 );
 
 # set the wxradar echo