# Which way does a weather vane point?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-way-does-a-weather-vane-point/217875>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 9, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-way-does-a-weather-vane-point/217875 "2003-12-09T07:08:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![durkus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7c8e57/32.png) [@durkus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/durkus)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-way-does-a-weather-vane-point/217875/1 "2003-12-09T07:08:16Z")

</div>

Seriously, this is driving me nuts! Does a weather vane point the direction the wind is blowing FROM or the direction the wind is blowing TO? I’d really love the teeming millions to settle this for me once and for all! Thanks all, Durk

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-way-does-a-weather-vane-point/217875/2 "2003-12-09T07:10:11Z")

</div>

A weather vane points in the direction the wind is coming from and not the direction it is travelling.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-way-does-a-weather-vane-point/217875/3 "2003-12-09T11:21:09Z")

</div>

Correct. If the pointer is aligned with the E you’ve got an east wind blowing, and it’s time to wrap up warm (here in the UK, at least, where East generally means “Siberian brass monkeys”).

The vane is constructed with a large surface area on the opposite side from the arrow, so that the pointer swings into the oncoming wind.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-way-does-a-weather-vane-point/217875/4 "2003-12-09T13:04:38Z")

</div>

What you haven’t asked is whether a North wind comes from the North, or goes to the North. That may be confusing you.