@k6ml just checked PAGE UP/DN works to change altitude for humidity and temp (wasn't working for temp before, not sure what changed) but does not work for Dew Point (the one I use the most)

@korina Where do I find keyboard settings? I can't find it; PAGE UP/DN only works for changing altitude with humidy (I'm using Firfox browser on a PC and windy.com website).

@k6ml The keyboard shortcuts are very useful to check nearby times (left/right arrow) and adjacent altitude levels (PAGE UP/DOWN) for varying altitude levels across the path/map region. Unfortunately, the PAGE UP/DOWN only works for Humidity, not for dew point, temperature and other data that vary with altitude. I feel this an omission in the user interface; there's no reason it couldn't work for the other variables.

Thanks for a great tool and for listening.

@korina regarding the data download... I agree with you that the Play icon is intentionally animating slowly, and the data downloads are fast (if the internet connection is good). I find the animation rate too slow, so maybe a Play speed option in settings would allow faster play animations.

The other part of my comment is that the animation steps are x seconds per 1 hour of forecast time... when the forecasts are only valid every 3 or 6 hours (approx 5-10 day forecats in ECM), the animation steps continue at 1 hr per step instead of speeding up to 3 or 6 hr per step. I guess the designer felt that smooth animation, linear in time, was desirable. I'd prefer to get the data as fast as it comes and in the step sizes that it comes.

I use the play feature only for a preliminary scan for events during the full forecast period as the forecast is downloading. Then I move the cursor to the day/hour of each event of interest and step back and forth with the arrow keys (in time) and PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN (in altitude) to see the event over time and space. I know the time/date better by single stepping with the arrows than by running Play and trying to view the map and the time slider markings at the same time.

@k6ml You did not reply to my suggestion to expand PAGE UP/DOWN altitude keyboard shortcut (in web browser) to cover not just relative humidity, but also other variables with altitude data (such as Dew Point, Air temperature, etc). This keyboard shortcut already works for humidity altitude selection... it could work for the others, too.

@korina The weather picker data is only given at the surface, not at the altitudes above surface.

@idefix37 That'a exactly what I do (favorites along the path). It's a bit tedious compared to a 'thru the air' Route planner option. Perhaps such an option could be added to route planner?

@k6ml

The path tool reports the data at the surface, even for the IFR, VFR, etc non-hiker cases.

Also, it used to have a Meteogram option with more data variables, but still at the surface.

My dream path tool would have a mode that reports at least air temp, dew point (or dew point spread), clouds, precip & wind a regular points along the sloped/elevated line of sight path between two endpoints (perhaps with an option to elevate the end points above ground for legs of a flight path or those who build towers in the air).

@idefix37

I'm not hiking, I'm 'flying' thru the air along the path.

Actually, I'm transmitting millimeter radio waves from one mountaintop to another. (But an aviator planning a flight or a hiker wondering about the view from a mountaintop has a similar issue predicting clouds, crosswinds and other weather.) The attenuation of these waves varies strongly with absolute humidity (dew point, not relative humidity) as they
fly' thru the air. For a line of sight path between two mountains, the altitude above ground will vary with the underlying terrain and the earth's curvature.

Your distance and planning weather picker tool is great for hikers... it follows the terrain, but not for people and radio (and visible light) waves flying thru the air... it reports surface forecast data along the path. I'd love a line of sight mode that follows the path between the two endpoints thru the air, reporting conditions along that line.

@korina

Here's the data load scenario I'm referring to ...

Bring up your browser on Windy.com, pick a region (eg California) to view, pick a model (ECM) and variable (DewPoint).

Now hit the play button ... the time pointer will move slowly from left to right (in 1 hrs steps if Premium, 3 hr if not), loading the new data (if available and not already cached) for each forecast time. Each step takes some noticeable time that probably depends on your network speed and distance from server, but definitely noticable (I see the Windy logo do a spin when waiting for data) Perhaps there is also an intentional dwell time to each animation step; if so, then I guess I'm asking for a 'fast' play mode option.

At the current rate the sum of 10 days worth of time takes several minutes for me.

But the steps continue at the 1hr (or 3 hr) spacing, with a pause at each step, EVEN IF the ECM model has no data for that forecast time (several days out, the ECM forecast periods drop from 1hr to 3hr interval, a few days later (approx second half of the 10 days), they drop from 3 hr to 6hr. 2 of 3 or 5 of 6 steps are a waste of time.