Why is the normal convention on reporting wind direction based on where the wind is coming from, rather than where it is going? Seems to me that most of the time when you are attempting to describe the direction of something (cars, people, squirrels, whatever) you generally use the the direction they are heading. So why the exception for wind?
Weather-wise, where the wind is coming from is the dominant factor in determining what going’s to happen. The wind indicates fronts moving across the country. In addition, local conditions depend on where the wind is coming from, as in lake-effect snow or a big nor’easter or picking up dirt or sand and blasting it in your face.
What always throws me, or at least used to, is the use “erly” as a suffix. A north wind sounds just like what it is: colder, dryer and from the north. But northerly sounds like it’s headed to see Santa.
I think we ought to count ourselves lucky that there is only one convention to name wind directions.