In Wildfire Analyst (WFA), wind speed is an hourly snapshot of the wind at ten meters above ground level across the territory.
Wind speed is the primary driver of Rate of Spread (ROS); wind both dries fuels and physically pushes the fire forward. Small changes in wind speed can produce large changes in spread rate, making it one of the most influential variables in a fire behavior simulation.
See wind gust for information on sudden increases in wind speed.
Data Sources
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Forecast wind speed data in the United States is provided by the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR), a 3km resolution, hourly updated weather model run by NOAA.
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Observed wind speed and direction are collected by Automated Surface Observation Station (ASOS), a collaborative effort by the National Weather Service, the FAA, and the Department of Defense.