What you smell when it rains.

I opened Accuweather for Denver forecast and noticed this on the side. What are you actually smelling when it rains?

Ozone!

Fine. Can't tell you anything.

Did you know ozone gets its name from the Greek word ozein which means smell?

The Greeks knew about ozone?

No. The word comes from them.

Ozone is brought down by the downdrafts of storms.

But I did learn something. A new word. Petrichor.

Petrichor is the scent caused by oils from plants that accumulate on dirt and pavement and released by the disturbance of rainfall.

Researchers believe these petrichor oils inhibit germination and serve to reduce competition from other plants for scarce water supplies.

the soil-oils that produce petrichor compound with the smells of organisms. Bacteria produce spores during dry times. The spore production includes geosmin that is the distinctly earthy smell of dying off of microorganisms in the soil that's associated with rain. Strongest when it's been raining awhile.

Petrichor and geosmin occur as result of interaction with water and release of aerosolized compounds.

Ozone, petrichor and geosmin. That's what we're smelling.

A bit more at the link, but this is the gist.

Also, Denver's high today, Friday,  predicted 69℉, Saturday and Sunday 68℉, then Monday 49℉, then Tuesday down further to 40℉. Just so you know.