<![CDATA[Windy.com introduces soaring forecast]]>As some members of our team are pilots themselves, we decided to enrich Windy.com with a new soaring forecast layer for (but not only) glider and paraglider pilots!

The new feature is called Thermals and is a part of the Clouds group. To access it, open --> "More layers.." and add Thermals to your main layer selection:

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The color scale indicates thermal height (meters or feet AMSL) and is overlayed with cloud type icons (small/large cumulus, overcast, lightnings). Soaring forecast is available for all the global models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON) as well as for the local models ICON-EU and NAM.

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During the initial beta phase, thermals will be available to all of our users. Once the beta phase finishes, Thermals will be available to subscribers only.

The thermals layer is available on all platforms - desktop, app, and mobile browser.

Thermals layer was brought to you by our developer @FILIP_K , who is a passionate pilot himself. Well done Filip!

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Feedback wanted!

This is an experimental feature in early stages of development, we will appreciate your feedback below this article! (:

https://www.windy.com/-Show---add-more-layers/overlays?ccl,50.087,2.387,5,i:pressure,internal

]]>https://community.windy.com/topic/16458/windy-com-introduces-soaring-forecastRSS for NodeMon, 18 May 2026 21:43:20 GMTTue, 11 May 2021 14:37:46 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:21:21 GMT]]>@idefix37 said in Windy.com introduces soaring forecast:

Even if the knowledge of sailors on the thermal is not so thorough, they know at sea the reasons for the coastal breezes.

By the way, just as a side note, sea breeze is not created by the thermals glider pilots talk about, but rather by the general thermal warming of landmass vs sea. You can have lots of sun and heat but bad thermals on an overheated day. This will give a strong sea breeze and lousy thermals then. This is the difference of macroscopic vs microscopic thermal effects.

That beeing said, are there improvements / more details planned as requested in the previous Posts?

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/197224https://community.windy.com/post/197224Mon, 05 Aug 2024 11:21:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 18 Aug 2023 21:44:17 GMT]]>Please advise how Windy computes the numerical altitude shown on the thermal display. In a skewt plot is it the altitude at which the dry adiabat intersects the ambient air, or is the the altitude at which the dry adiabat is located 3 degrees centigrade to the right of the ambient air mass, which is the "3-degree spread" and the conventional standard for measuring achievable height in thermal soaring in gliders? Thanks.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/156830https://community.windy.com/post/156830Fri, 18 Aug 2023 21:44:17 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Sat, 24 Jun 2023 21:29:21 GMT]]>@Korina

Thermals very good!

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/148515https://community.windy.com/post/148515Sat, 24 Jun 2023 21:29:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 23 Jun 2023 06:46:12 GMT]]>@feisal
You can customise the colors as you like:

https://community.windy.com/topic/16458/windy-com-introduces-soaring-forecast/102

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/148284https://community.windy.com/post/148284Fri, 23 Jun 2023 06:46:12 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:35:22 GMT]]>thank you for having thermal option
it would be great if it has borders or much different colors for every like 1000 meter
so we dont need to put marker to see like the highest point

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/148283https://community.windy.com/post/148283Thu, 22 Jun 2023 19:35:22 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Sun, 28 May 2023 06:30:46 GMT]]>As you made it doesn’t suite a glider pilot purpose
Glider pilots require more detailed analysis with specific characteristics
check the following two web sites if you wish to learn about
https://meteo-parapente.com
https://topmeteo.eu/

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/144943https://community.windy.com/post/144943Sun, 28 May 2023 06:30:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 12 May 2023 22:22:32 GMT]]>@Korina

Fantastic! As a private pilot, glider pilot and Paraglider pilot. This app rocks. Maui for paragliding high desert So Cal for soaring and grabbing lift for better fuel economy. This thermal map should have an impact on my preflight.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/143218https://community.windy.com/post/143218Fri, 12 May 2023 22:22:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Wed, 10 May 2023 05:36:33 GMT]]>@AE38 Thermals layer is available in official Windy app. How do you mean that?

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/142909https://community.windy.com/post/142909Wed, 10 May 2023 05:36:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Tue, 09 May 2023 15:14:29 GMT]]>Hello, would you please tell me how much longer the beta on soaring info will continue? As well how much is the premium fee after the beta concludes?
Thank you

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/142859https://community.windy.com/post/142859Tue, 09 May 2023 15:14:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Thu, 04 May 2023 06:54:07 GMT]]>Thank you!

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/142335https://community.windy.com/post/142335Thu, 04 May 2023 06:54:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Sat, 22 Apr 2023 02:32:15 GMT]]>@Filip_K perfect information and quality dor this new layer congrats

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/141274https://community.windy.com/post/141274Sat, 22 Apr 2023 02:32:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:50:18 GMT]]>Hi @Korina and team,

It's fantastic you introduced the UKV model, but there seems to be an error in the thermal map. Somehow, particularly earlier in the day, there's a lot of grey indicating zero thermals whereas other models (and indeed the UKV soundings) suggest thermals.

I've noticed this on several days, but as an example please see the screenshots below of tomorrow's forecast @1300.

UKV
UKV

ECMWF
ECMWF

GFS
GFS

ICONEU
ICONEU

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/139680https://community.windy.com/post/139680Thu, 06 Apr 2023 09:50:18 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:18:46 GMT]]>Thanks for adding this forecast to your model. I’m a glider pilot with over 1000 hours. SkySight is a great example of what competitive glider pilots are using now.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/137582https://community.windy.com/post/137582Fri, 17 Mar 2023 18:18:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:13:57 GMT]]>@Nellybonelly You can add airspaces from openAIP using Airspaces plugin
Screenshot_20230317_121315.png Screenshot_20230317_121338.png
Screenshot_20230317_121132.png

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/137534https://community.windy.com/post/137534Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:13:57 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:06:47 GMT]]>I like it a lot. Adding an airspace display would be very valuable for planning soaring flights.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/137533https://community.windy.com/post/137533Fri, 17 Mar 2023 12:06:47 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:38:51 GMT]]>The thermal layer is useful as a very broad overview, but it is too inaccurate to use meaningfully beyond 'the day looks interesting'.

The sounding plugin very accurately predicts cloudbase/top of climbs. If this layer could use the same algorithm as that, it would be brilliant.

On a related note, I find the new 'sounding' that is embedded in windy better than the old one, but again the sounding plugin is far simpler, more accurate (within the boundary layer).

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/137436https://community.windy.com/post/137436Thu, 16 Mar 2023 13:38:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Tue, 07 Mar 2023 09:19:32 GMT]]>nice addition t windy, would be nice to see calculate speed of lifting

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/136482https://community.windy.com/post/136482Tue, 07 Mar 2023 09:19:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Wed, 08 Feb 2023 22:38:28 GMT]]>It works pretty well in South America, thanks for adding this feature

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/133403https://community.windy.com/post/133403Wed, 08 Feb 2023 22:38:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Thu, 20 Oct 2022 10:20:29 GMT]]>@alex-panzeri said in Windy.com introduces soaring forecast:

it's sad to see sailors don't assimilate the concept of Thermal

I don't entirely agree with you. At sea, when we look at the coastline lined with cumulus clouds to confirm the sea breeze conditions, we say that 'the thermal is developing', that is to say that the breeze will soon establish itself in the afternoon. Even if the knowledge of sailors on the thermal is not so thorough, they know at sea the reasons for the coastal breezes.
For those who sail on lakes in mountainous regions, the thermal is a very good indicator of the coming mountain breezes on these lakes. But it is still necessary to know very well the local winds direction, or to use high resolution models such as AROME or ICON-D2 on Windy on wider lakes.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/123776https://community.windy.com/post/123776Thu, 20 Oct 2022 10:20:29 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Mon, 17 Oct 2022 20:37:11 GMT]]>Not only for pilot it will be useful but also for sailors, I would say that 90% of inshore regattas are governed by this meteo event.
On lake of lecco/como, we have 2 wind, Tivano, from North from around 05-06:00L till 10:00L and later the Breva from south from 12-13:00 till 16-17:00 (maybe you are more familiar with those on Lago di Garda, l'Ora and Peler).
We are using also the graphic of the Swiss Pressure Gradient of the Foehn to have a trend indication.
As I'm an ex pilot with aeronautical Technical’s degree at high shcool and a decade at airspace engineers, it's sad to see sailors don't assimilate the concept of Thermal (in theory with a barometer it's possible to make some forecast of the field).

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/123493https://community.windy.com/post/123493Mon, 17 Oct 2022 20:37:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 30 Sep 2022 08:44:15 GMT]]>@Keshka-Kotera We will consider it, thank you.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/121776https://community.windy.com/post/121776Fri, 30 Sep 2022 08:44:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Fri, 30 Sep 2022 02:57:52 GMT]]>I like it very much. Done in such a way that a huge amount of information is shown at a glance. Since it is new and I have only just started using it, accuracy is in question.

OBTW, I asked and they provided! NOAA is now creating a soaring forecast for Baker City Oregon! WOOT! Perhaps you can integrate some of their information?

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/121745https://community.windy.com/post/121745Fri, 30 Sep 2022 02:57:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:39:01 GMT]]>The granularity of thermal height is not fine enough.

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/119617https://community.windy.com/post/119617Mon, 12 Sep 2022 17:39:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Windy.com introduces soaring forecast on Thu, 08 Sep 2022 19:18:23 GMT]]>Thanks for more layers added for Thermals. I am more and more convinced to use this feature. But the range (altitude) of lifts is not all we (gliders pilots) are looking for. Most important is the average themal strength (the vertical speed which we sse on variometers while climbing). Is it something conected to the buoyancy of the air particle? Can you consider to add such thing? Best regards. Mariusz Poźniak

]]>https://community.windy.com/post/119204https://community.windy.com/post/119204Thu, 08 Sep 2022 19:18:23 GMT