Prevailing winds

Prevailing winds are the directions from which winds most frequently or consistently blow over a region during a specified period.

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Atmospheric circulation: The large-scale movement of air that redistributes heat and moisture through the atmosphere. Its global circulation cells create persistent belts of wind direction.
Wind rose: A diagram showing the frequency of wind directions at a location over a stated period. It summarizes prevailing directions and their relative frequencies.
Monsoon: A seasonal reversal of prevailing winds that produces distinct wet and dry periods in some regions. Its direction changes between seasons rather than remaining constant year-round.
Wind direction: The compass direction from which wind blows, conventionally reported in degrees or compass points. Prevailing winds describe the direction that occurs most often over time.
Pressure gradient force: The force produced by differences in atmospheric pressure, which accelerates air from higher toward lower pressure. Regional pressure patterns help set the direction from which winds usually arrive.
Beaufort scale: A scale that estimates wind speed from observed sea conditions or, in modern use, measured speed ranges. Wind observations paired with direction help characterize local wind regimes.
Chinook wind: A warm, dry downslope wind that occurs east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a regional wind shaped by terrain and broader airflow.
Wind speed: The rate at which air moves relative to the ground. A prevailing direction says how often wind comes from a direction, not how fast it blows.
Coriolis effect: The apparent deflection of moving objects caused by Earth’s rotation, changing direction by hemisphere. It turns large-scale airflow and helps shape prevailing wind belts.
Sailing: The use of sails to propel a vessel by harnessing wind. Sailors use recurring wind directions to plan routes and seasonal passages.