# Wind and water currents **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [May 31, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666 "2002-05-31T02:29:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/1 "2002-05-31T02:29:46Z")
This is only marginally related to lake-effect weather, but does anyone know WHY wind and water currents are designated differently; one for the direction TO which it flows, the other for the direction FROM which it flows? Note that I can not remember which is which, but then I have trouble with right and left when giving direction. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/2 "2002-05-31T02:55:21Z")
[What’s the physics behind “lake effect snow”?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mlakeeffectsnow.html) The “North Wind” comes out of the north. Visualize Boreas, the North Wind, living in the North. Brrr! [Doesn’t he look cold!](http://www.charliecrow.co.uk/images/story/the%20north%20wind.jpg) No? Well, okay, how about [this one?](http://www.msad54.k12.me.us/MSAD54Pages/SAHS/SAHS%20Webpage/Student%20Activities%20page/OutingClub/Images/north%20wind.gif) Okay? Now–brrr! Down he swoops, from his cold northern fastnesses, to bring the cold North Wind to us all. A “northerly” current flows to the north, “northerly” being an adverb and as such modifying the verb “to flow”, describing “how the current flows”, or “in what direction”, i.e. “to the north”. [http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/currents/currents2.htm](http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/students/currents/currents2.htm) > [@](#): > > Wind direction indicates the direction the wind originates (comes) from. For example, a “north wind” blows out of the north to the south. This is the opposite of water-current flow. A “northerly current” flows to the north, not out of the north. As to “why” all this should be so, I have no clue. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/3 "2002-05-31T03:24:09Z")
Thank you for the explanation; I will never remember it; I remembered it for a whole year in forth grade, but now I just can’t keep it straight. I deal with the usage difference the way the Staff Member did; I use the appropriate preposition. I think that if I knew WHY the usage was different, I might remember the correct usage. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/4 "2002-05-31T04:51:30Z")
Just a guess, but… You refer to the direction the wind is coming from, because that controls what the weather will be like. If it’s coming from the north, it will be cold, coming from the south, warmer. Generalization, but holds true for North America. Whereas, with water you want to specify which way the water is going, because before the days of motor boats, that was a significant effect on where you might be going. Heck, even with motor boats it still plays a role. Does that help? Hey, even if it’s not _right_, it’s a reason. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![sford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/edb3f5/32.png) [@sford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sford)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/5 "2002-05-31T19:08:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\* [Doesn’t he look cold!](http://www.charliecrow.co.uk/images/story/the%20north%20wind.jpg) \*\* Not to get off-topic, but I’m impressed you found that image. I went to the main page and found the story, but the image links were broken. Apparently, Netscape doesn’t like URLs to contain actual spaces. You found the story, found the image, and even FIXED THE URL to contain “%20” in place of spaces! I salute DDG. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2002, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/6 "2002-06-01T01:11:06Z")
Weather comes from the direction of the wind; boats go to the direction of the current. This could work; this really might work. Next time I go boating with a meteorologist I’ll be all set. Unless we’re sailing … ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2002, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wind-and-water-currents/111666/7 "2002-06-09T10:42:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sford \* > **Apparently, Netscape doesn’t like URLs to contain actual spaces.** Not to get even more off-topic, but dude, _[update your browser](http://wp.netscape.com/computing/download/index.html)_. The pictures worked fine for me.