Ocean Downwind Community Finder

This map combines NOAA hourly winds from 2021-2025 with a computed land-water fetch analysis to rank communities by how often their upwind air crosses enough open water.

Current minimum fetch: 25 miles
Green: 60% or more qualifying over-water wind
Yellow-green: 50% to under 60%
Yellow: 40% to under 50%
Red: below 40% or disqualified route

List ranking uses route and confidence adjustments. The marker color uses the raw over-water share for the selected timeframe.

Method: NOAA hourly winds from 2021-2025, scored against a computed land-water fetch model built from Natural Earth coast and lake polygons over 15-48 N, 107-61 W.

Interpretation: Wind roses show where the wind comes from. Colors follow the share of winds whose upwind ray stays over water long enough to meet the active fetch threshold.

Filter: Fetch is traced in 1-mile steps by wind sector. Communities qualify when at least one sector clears 25 statute miles of water fetch and the first water is within 12 statute miles.

Stations: Each community uses a station in that community when practical; otherwise it falls back to the nearest available NOAA station with current hourly data.

Confidence: Confidence tier A: station within 6 mi, B: within 15 mi, C: within 25 mi, D: farther than 25 mi.

Color rule: Green requires at least 60% qualifying over-water wind. Yellow-green marks 50% to under 60%. Yellow marks 40% to under 50%. Red is below 40% or fails route rules.