Wind near you
Wind now near New York, NY
Example: New York right now. Press Use my location or type your ZIP code above to see yours.
On land: Calm; smoke rises vertically.
Last 24 hours and the next 48
Wind speed (station)GustsNWS forecastNow
Wind right now in big U.S. cities
Live National Weather Service readings, refreshed every 10 minutes.
Reading the numbers
- Direction is where the wind comes from. The NWS defines wind direction as "the true direction from which the wind is blowing". A north wind blows from the north toward the south; the arrow on the compass shows where the air is going.
- Gusts are short bursts above the steady wind. The NWS glossary calls a gust "a rapid fluctuation of wind speed with variations of 10 knots or more between peaks and lulls". No gust in the report simply means none were measured.
- Beaufort force turns the speed into a description you can see outside, from force 0 ("Calm; smoke rises vertically") to force 12 ("Hurricane"). See the full Beaufort wind scale.
The Beaufort scale in short
| Force | mph | Name | On land (NWS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0-1 | Calm | Calm; smoke rises vertically. |
| 1 | 1-3 | Light Air | Direction of wind shown by smoke drift, but not by wind vanes. |
| 2 | 4-7 | Light Breeze | Wind felt on face; leaves rustle; ordinary vanes moved by wind. |
| 3 | 8-12 | Gentle Breeze | Leaves and small twigs in constant motion; wind extends light flag. |
| 4 | 13-18 | Moderate Breeze | Raises dust and loose paper; small branches are moved. |
| 5 | 19-24 | Fresh Breeze | Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters. |
| 6 | 25-31 | Strong Breeze | Large branches in motion; whistling heard in telegraph wires; umbrellas used with difficulty. |
| 7 | 32-38 | Near Gale | Whole trees in motion; inconvenience felt when walking against the wind. |
| 8 | 39-46 | Gale | Breaks twigs off trees; generally impedes progress. |
From the NWS Miami "Beaufort Wind Scale". Forces 9 to 12, sea conditions and a calculator are on our Beaufort scale page. Need another unit? Use the wind speed converter.
Why your own reading may differ
Official stations, often at airports, measure in the open at a fixed height. Wind near buildings, trees and fences is usually weaker and gustier. To measure your own yard, a handheld anemometer gives a quick number and a weather station with a wind sensor logs it all day: see how to measure wind speed, what an anemometer is and our handheld anemometer picks.
Quick answers
What is the wind speed right now?
Press "Use my location" or enter your ZIP code above: you get the latest wind speed, gusts and direction from the nearest National Weather Service station with a recent reading, plus the forecast.
What wind direction is it today?
The compass shows where the wind comes from, as the NWS defines it, with the direction in degrees.
Is 20 mph wind strong?
On the NWS Beaufort table 20 mph is force 5, "Fresh Breeze": "Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters."
What happens with my location?
If you press "Use my location", your browser asks for permission and sends your position to our server once. We only use it to find the nearest ZIP code and do not store it.
Does it work outside the U.S.?
No. It uses U.S. ZIP codes and National Weather Service stations only.
Sources: National Weather Service API (readings and hourly forecast) · NWS Miami: Beaufort Wind Scale · NWS glossary: wind direction · NWS glossary: gust · U.S. Census Bureau: Gazetteer Files (ZCTA)
