# Weather map question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 29, 2022, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467 "2022-09-29T18:57:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467/1 "2022-09-29T18:57:30Z")

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I’m looking at the predicted winds for Saturday at 3:00 PM on [windy.com](http://windy.com). In particular the northeast of the U.S. Usually, winds follow surface isolines, more or less. From the Delaware Bay to Cape Cod the winds are perpendicular to the lines and at relatively higher speeds. What is going on? At 5000’ the winds are almost directly opposite in direction.

> **[Windy as forecasted](https://www.windy.com/-Show---add-more-layers/overlays?2022100119,39.343,-64.116,6,i:pressure)**
>
> Wind map and weather forecast

It looks like you will have to drag the slider to Saturday at 3:00 after you click on the link.

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**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467/2 "2022-09-29T19:04:51Z")

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Remnants of Hurricane Ian.

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467/3 "2022-09-29T19:17:58Z")

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Here is the surface analysis forecast for 12Z Saturday October 1.

[https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/bawx\_nav.php?imgtyp=ndfd&arrval=5&vtime=Sat\_12Z&ptime=Sat\_00Z&ntime=Sun\_00Z](https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/bawx_nav.php?imgtyp=ndfd&arrval=5&vtime=Sat_12Z&ptime=Sat_00Z&ntime=Sun_00Z)

Note that the low pressure center in the remnants of Ian is dragging a warm front which aligns nicely with the discontinuity in surface wind direction you noticed. Fronts are often characterized by sharp changes in surface wind speed and direction.

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**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weather-map-question/972467/4 "2022-09-30T11:28:55Z")

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Aha!, The windy map i was looking at didn’t show the warm front. Thanks.