Dear Tom,
Does a westerly wind blow from west to east or from east to west?
Jerry
Dear Jerry,
We are asked this question repeatedly and it is always a good idea to review this important topic. The reported wind direction is always the direction from which the wind is blowing. So, a west wind blows from west to east. If you stand so the wind is blowing directly into your face, the direction you are facing names the wind. A simple way to remember this is that in Chicago, a north wind usually brings lower temperatures and a south wind implies a warm-up. For general weather situations, wind direction is reported to 8 compass points N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW. When activities require precise directions, such as for aviation or navigation, the wind can be reported in 10(degrees) increments on the 360(degrees) circle, with a north wind blowing from 360(degrees).
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Tom Skilling is chief meteorologist at WGN-TV. His forecasts can be seen Monday through Friday on WGN-TV News at noon and 9 p.m.
Write to: ASK TOM WHY, 2501 Bradley Pl., Chicago, IL 60618 or asktomwhy@wgntv.com (Mail volume precludes personal response.)
WGN-TV meteorologists Steve Kahn, Richard Koeneman and Paul Dailey plus weather producer Bill Snyder contribute to this page.
