Windy Community
    • Unread
    • Categories
    • Groups
    • Go to windy.com
    • Register
    • Login

    Wind direction indicated by wind barbs

    Your Feedback and Suggestions
    4
    6
    174
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • A
      avallec | Premium
      last edited by avallec

      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.

      cyderC 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
      • cyderC
        cyder @avallec | Premium
        last edited by

        @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)

        SutyS idefix37I 2 Replies Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • SutyS
          Suty Administrator @cyder
          last edited by

          @cyder @avallec We provide the same method as it is described here.

          idefix37I 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • idefix37I
            idefix37 Sailor Moderator @Suty
            last edited by idefix37

            @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.

            BABBD3A4-C110-4DEE-A1B8-90941DD8D39E.jpeg

            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 ?

            86270220-8CAD-4A86-9586-44A4145FE737.jpeg

            This the reason why it is often said “the barbs show the direction from which the wind is blowing”

            —————————

            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.
            .
            A035A849-7AC0-410A-A93B-0CF0E5CC51BA.jpeg

            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.

            C1477D3B-146F-4A38-BA0B-6554B38592FB.jpeg

            1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 2
            • idefix37I
              idefix37 Sailor Moderator @cyder
              last edited by idefix37

              @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.

              1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • A
                avallec | Premium
                last edited by avallec

                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?

                1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 1
                • First post
                  Last post
                Windyty, S.E. - all rights reserved. Powered by excellent NodeBB
                NodeBB & contributors, OSM & contributors, HERE maps
                Terms of Use     Privacy Policy