What you need to know about... wind barbs

              What you need to know about ...
Wind Barbs
article revised Octonber 2009
Wind barbs are a
convenient way to
represent both wind
direction and speed.
Wind barbs have three parts: a dot, a
staff and feathers or flags.
The staff part of a wind barb shows
wind direction. The dot end of the
staff is where the wind is blowing
to, while the top of the staff shows
the direction from which the wind is
coming. The top row of wind barbs
in the figure to the right all indicate
a north wind. The dot is to the south
and the top of the wind barb staff
is to the north. The second row of
wind barbs in the figure to the right
shows how the wind barb is rotated
to denote different wind directions.
Wind direction can also be reported
as a compass degree. There are 360
degrees on the compass, with north
being 0 or 360 degrees and south
180 degrees.
Wind Direction
Wind Speed
Wind speed is indicated by feathers
added to the top of the staff. These
feathers show wind speed adjusted to
the nearest 5 mph increment.
A short feather represents a 5 mph
average wind speed. A long feather
equals 10 mph. A pennant or flag is
used to show a 50-mph wind speed.
When winds are 2 mph or less, a small
open circle is used.
Feathers and pennants are combined
to denote various wind speeds. For
example, two long feathers and a
short feather represent a 25 mph
wind, as seen in the second wind barb
row in the figure below.
Wind barbs show wind speed and direction. Above are examples of varying winds.
Speed: calm units
NA All blowing from the North
5 10 15 20 50 55 60
Dir (from):
(toward):
Speed: units
Dir (from):
(toward):
25
N
S
25
NW
SE
25
W
E
25
SW
NE
25
S
N
25
SE
NW
25
E
W
25
NE
SW
or all towards the South