How to Read Weather Arrows

Many weather vanes feature ornaments, which can make them inaccurate.

A weather vane, which is also sometimes referred to as a weather arrow because they are often made in the shape of an arrow, are useful tools for determining the direction of wind. Weather vanes are most often mounted on a tall point of a building, so they are buffeted by wind that is unobstructed by neighboring buildings and land forms. Most weather vanes also have a four-point direction indicator mounted below the arrow, which is to aid in determining wind direction.

Things You'll Need

• Weather vane

Instructions

1. Look at which direction the arrow of the weather vane is pointing. Wait for several seconds to determine what the average direction is.

2. Compare the direction of the arrow to the four compass points mounted on the weather vane. These compass points are stationary and should aligne with the the directions north, south, east and west.

3. The direction indicated by the arrow of the weather vane is the direction which the wind is coming from. Weather vanes are designed to be equally weighted on either side, but the side with the arrow tail will have more surface area, which causes it to be pushed by the wind. The arrow point, then, indicates the direction which the wind is coming from.

References

• Florida International University; Making a Weather Vane;
• Franklin Institute: Make Your Own Weather Vane; March 2008
• "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition"; Weather Vane; 2008