What is a Wind Vane? It has a tail and nose at the center of gravity to move around the pole which forms a vertical axis. The nose is the smallest part and turns into the wind. The tail is the largest part and points to where the wind is going. This is used to measure wind direction

What are prevailing winds? They are winds that blow most frequently across a particular region. Different regions on the Earth have different prevailing wind directions which are determined by the circulation of the atmosphere and the latitude. Example: Winona latitude = degrees North Common direction is W-SW Prevailing winds are called SW antitrades They generally blow from high pressure to low pressure It does not take a direct route because of the way the Earth rotates.

Direction a North Wind Travels The north wind blows from north to south. The wind direction is explained by the direction the wind is blowing from. So, east wind would be blowing east-west.

Why do we care about wind direction? It can help predict where a storm may be heading because it gives a clue to what later weather will be like since the weather is due to wind patterns. Most storms move from east-west, so look at the weather to the east to determine if a storm may come. It helps sailors because it determines the roughness of the water and they might have to take a different route.