Long before doppler radar, dapper weathermen and gimmicky green screens, a simple but brilliant tool ruled the world of weather prediction. For over 2,000 years, the weathervane faithfully indicated direction and helped signal coming storms; though it may be mostly decorative today, it’s still as fun and functional as it was when it was first invented. If you know anything about weathervanes, you probably know that they, quite literally, point out wind direction. What’s not so obvious is how they do it. So, if you’ve ever wondered, “How does a weathervane work?” Valley Forge Cupolas has the answer you’ve been looking for!
The Answer Is Blowin’ In The Wind
Though a weathervane can have as many as 21 working parts, there are 3 key components integral to understanding the way it works: a rod, directionals, and an arrow.
- The rod is the vertical piece that attaches to your roof; it functions as the pivot point for the directionals and the arrow.
- The directionals, indicating North, South, East and West, sit stationary on the rod; when the wind starts to blow, the directionals don’t budge.
- The arrow is positioned above the directionals. One side of the arrow has a tail fin, the other has a point. When the wind blows, it catches the tail fin and pushes it straight back, swinging the opposite side, the arrow point, in the direction the wind is blowing from.
How Does A Weathervane Work? See It For Yourself!
Interested in witnessing this ancient weather wonder for yourself? At Valley Forge Cupolas, we offer a stunning selection of weathervanes, both traditional and novel. Though our weathervanes may vary in style and appearance, they all have one thing in common - they’re just as fun and functional as the very first weathervane ever created. So go on, channel your inner meteorologist and give the weather channel a run for its money - choose a weathervane from Valley Forge Cupolas today!
RSS Feed