Live Wind Map — Real-Time Wind Flow & Observations
A live wind map that plots real-time wind direction and speed from thousands of NOAA weather stations across the United States. Pan and zoom the full-screen map above to watch the wind flow update, then read on to learn how the wind observations work and how to read the markers.
What this live wind map shows
This wind flow map renders the most recent surface wind observations as directional arrows on a fast LatLng vector basemap. Every station in view is drawn as a colour-coded marker: the arrow points the way the wind is blowing and a label shows the sustained wind speed in knots. As you move the map, the dashboard requests fresh observations for the visible area, so you always see current, real-time wind conditions rather than a static snapshot. It is a practical way to see how wind is moving across a region — where it is calm, where it is gusting, and how direction shifts from the coast to inland.
The NOAA METAR data source
Wind data comes from NOAA's Aviation Weather Center METAR feed. METAR is the international standard format for surface weather observations, published by automated stations at airports, airfields and marine platforms roughly once an hour. Each report includes wind direction (in degrees), sustained wind speed and gusts, which this map parses and turns into the arrows and speed labels you see. Because METAR is an official public dataset, the wind observations on this map reflect the same numbers pilots, sailors and forecasters rely on.
How to read wind direction and speed markers
- Arrow direction — the rotating arrow shows which way the wind is flowing; it is aligned to the reported wind direction in degrees.
- Speed label — the number beside each marker is the sustained wind speed in knots (1 knot ≈ 1.15 mph ≈ 1.85 km/h).
- Colour — blue marks light wind, green marks moderate wind, and red marks strong wind, so you can scan the map for the windiest areas at a glance.
- Click a station — tap any marker to see its name, exact wind speed, compass direction and data source.
How to use the wind map
- Search for any city or paste
lat,lng coordinates to jump straight to a location.
- Pan and zoom to load live wind observations for the area you are looking at.
- Filter layers with the on-map controls to focus on the wind layer or add marine, radar, alerts and places.
- Browse the side panel to see a live list of every wind station currently in view.
Why a live wind map is useful
Real-time wind matters far beyond the weather forecast. Pilots and drone operators check surface wind and gusts before takeoff and landing. Sailors and kite surfers look for the direction and strength that make a session — or call it off. Kiters, paragliders and windsurfers chase the corridors where the wind is blowing hardest. Wildfire and smoke analysts track wind to predict how a plume will spread, and anyone planning an outdoor event can use a wind observations map to decide when and where conditions are workable. Seeing live wind flow across a whole region, rather than a single point forecast, makes those decisions faster and better informed.
Built on the LatLng maps platform
This is a live demo of the LatLng mapping stack. The wind arrows are rendered over LatLng basemap tiles, and the same platform lets you publish your own point or boundary data as vector tiles through the Dataset Tiles API. You can build a live map like this one on a generous free tier.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the wind data come from?
Wind observations come from NOAA's Aviation Weather Center METAR feed — automated reports of wind direction and speed published by thousands of airport and marine weather stations, refreshed roughly every hour.
How do I read the wind direction and speed markers?
Each marker is a rotating arrow that points in the direction the wind is blowing, with a numeric label showing sustained wind speed in knots. Marker colour indicates strength: blue is light, green is moderate and red is strong.
Is this live wind map free to use?
Yes. The wind map is a free public demo built on the LatLng maps platform, and you can build your own live map on the same free basemap and dataset tiles APIs with a free API key.
More live map demos