Wind
Wind speed and direction at the ground and higher up.
Wind shows the wind speed, with barbs for direction, at the ground and at several heights.
How to read it
Section titled “How to read it”Choose the height in the layer’s controls: near the ground for the take-off and landing, higher up for what waits at cloud base. The barbs point the way the wind blows from, and the colours run from a faint tint for light wind to solid colours for wind that matters.
Wind barbs are always in knots, as aviation writes them.
What it does to the soaring
Section titled “What it does to the soaring”Strong wind breaks thermals up and drifts you downwind while you circle. Both are part of cross-country speed.