You may have a Kestrel and know the wind speed and direction where you are standing, but the wind between you and a target can be very different. That is why Kestrels are useless, without key knowledge.
Stay tuned for the next article that says how awesome Kestrels are and to get off your couch.
Learn how to read wind from home, so you can put it into practice in the field. There are some resources below and basic tips about how to think about it.
Wind flows like water.
Wind flowing in the atmosphere is one type of wind. It will always be going faster higher than down near the earth because friction against the surface slows it down.
It may be going south up in the atmosphere, but is has to move around obstacles like mountains, it is going to turn. In some conditions an eddy willl be created and wind can be going the opposite direction. That is local wind.
But, it may also speed up faster because of the earth. When it turns a corner or goes up a hill, it has to speed up as it gets compressed. It slows down after it passes the obstacle. If it gets channeled, the wind will rip fast as it is compressed.
Besides atmospheric wind, there are thermals (convective wind). Warm air rises and cold air sinks. If the ground is hotter than the air, the thermals move up because the ground heats the air. Once the ground stops heating the air, the cooler wind sinks.
Look at live wind predictions over terrain at your house and in areas near you.
windy.app
Training links.
www.nwcg.gov
Google search to lots of other resources.
Stay tuned for the next article that says how awesome Kestrels are and to get off your couch.
Learn how to read wind from home, so you can put it into practice in the field. There are some resources below and basic tips about how to think about it.
Wind flows like water.
Wind flowing in the atmosphere is one type of wind. It will always be going faster higher than down near the earth because friction against the surface slows it down.
It may be going south up in the atmosphere, but is has to move around obstacles like mountains, it is going to turn. In some conditions an eddy willl be created and wind can be going the opposite direction. That is local wind.
But, it may also speed up faster because of the earth. When it turns a corner or goes up a hill, it has to speed up as it gets compressed. It slows down after it passes the obstacle. If it gets channeled, the wind will rip fast as it is compressed.
Besides atmospheric wind, there are thermals (convective wind). Warm air rises and cold air sinks. If the ground is hotter than the air, the thermals move up because the ground heats the air. Once the ground stops heating the air, the cooler wind sinks.
Look at live wind predictions over terrain at your house and in areas near you.
Windy.app – Live wind map & weather forecast
Wind speed and direction map. Detailed weather forecast for your location. Weather tools for kiters, surfers, sailors and all outdoor sports lovers. Forecast models ECMWF, ICON, GFS, NAM, WRF
windy.app
Training links.
Estimating Winds for Fire Behavior | NWCG
Google search to lots of other resources.
