Wind Sock A tapered fabric shaped like a cone that indicates wind direction by pointing away from the wind. It is also called a wind cone.
Wind Sock: An indicator that shows the wind direction.
Wind Gust: A quick change in wind speed.
Wind Sheer: A sudden change in wind direction producing shearing conditions.
Note the aviation "wind sock" in the photograph. Winds were estimated to be about 50 MPH at this time along the Texas-New Mexico border east of Hobbs, New Mexico.
Wind cone Same as wind sock. Wind direction The direction from which the wind is blowing, measured in points of the compass or in azimuth degrees. Wind gust See gust and peak gust.
The term was derived from reference to the wind sock, a cloth tube mounted on a mast to indicate wind direction along the runway.
The term probably originated from reference to the wind sock. When the sock was in the clouds or when the visibility was so badly impaired that the sock was not visible, the airport was "socked in." The expression is still widely used.
Strong winds make the sock point almost horizontally, while light airs allow the sock to hang limply. Because of its size, the wind sock can often be seen from the air as well as the ground.
 See also: Wind, Surface, High, Horizon, Precipitation
  
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