Dear Tom,
When a wind direction is reported, is the wind coming from or blowing toward that direction?
Lynne M. Rauser, Skokie
Ed Shulman, Chicago
Dear Lynne and Ed,
In meteorology, wind direction is always the direction the wind is coming from. An easy way to remember this is that in the Northern Hemisphere a north wind usually brings colder weather and a south wind brings warmer conditions.
For general purposes, wind direction is reported to eight compass points: north, east, south, west, northeast, southeast, southwest and northwest. When a more precise wind reading is needed, such as in aviation, meteorologists report the wind to 36 points, each one representing 10 degrees on a 360-degree circle. For example, a north wind would be labeled as coming from 360 degrees, and an east-southeast wind would be described as blowing from 110 degrees.
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN News at noon and 9 p.m.
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