Wind direction indicated by wind barbs
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What is the direction of wind indicated by wind barbs? Ep. 2 of the Windy Academy says that the shaft of wind barbs in the Meteogram point in the direction “the wind is blowing from.” I believe this is wrong, the barbs point in the direction the wind is blowing TO.
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@avallec I agree this is wrong but also inaccurate as it doesn’t specify how to read the chart. You can choose the chart to show the wind with the north pointing up but also if you are using a flying path (for aviation for instance), you can show the wind relative to your direction of travel)
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@Suty
Yes, but the confusion comes from a small difference in the wind barbs design.
In the article that you mention there is a circle at one end of the wind barbs. And when it is said that the shaft direction shows the direction FROM which the wind is blowing, it is the direction of the shaft FROM the circle.
In the Windy Academy and in Windy, there is no circle. And saying that the “shaft points the direction” from which the wind is blowing is imprecise. Which end of the shaft is considered to be the tip ?
This the reason why it is often said “the barbs show the direction from which the wind is blowing”
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Personally I prefer to refer to the old design of the wind barbs. In old weather maps the direction of the wind was shown as an arrow flying in the wind. So the tip of the arrow is showing the direction where the wind is blowing TO.
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In this example the wind is blowing TO the east. It is a west wind.
This way of explaining wind direction then makes it easier to explain wind direction with the arrow tip in forecast panels.
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@cyder
You refer to the Route planner. It is not the subject of this part of the Windy Academy which is “How to read the detailed forecast”. The setting options of the Route planner will be probably explained later. -
i’m just pointing out that the explanation in that episode of the Windy Academy is confusing and could use better definition. Seems like the explanation was not given much thought. Also, wind symbols used by FAA weather forecasting do not have circles. Isn’t there standard symbology and definitions that everyone ought to be using?
