Read a windsock: turn wind speed into sock angle and extension, and wind direction into sock pointing.
Result
How to use this tool
Type the speed in knots.
Type the direction wind comes FROM in degrees, for example 270 for west.
The headline result is the angle below horizontal.
The metrics give the compass direction the sock points toward.
Formula & worked example
At 6 knots the sock hangs 30° below horizontal; wind from the west (270°) points it east (90°).
Limitations — read this before you rely on it
Simplified interpolation guide from FAA reference points, not a calibrated instrument. Sock behaviour varies with size, fabric and turbulence.
Frequently asked questions
It points away from the wind: the direction it points toward is where the wind is going, opposite the reported wind direction.
Wind of about 15 knots or more, enough to hold the sock fully extended.
Roughly, the stronger the wind, the closer the sock is to horizontal. At 6 knots it hangs about 30° below horizontal.
Sock size, fabric weight and local turbulence all affect the angle, so the FAA points are reference values, not a precise instrument.
Reported as the direction wind comes FROM in degrees: 270° means wind from the west, blowing toward the east.