A valley forecast does not describe every ridge
Terrain, obstacles and height affect wind exposure. A sheltered access path can feel calm while an exposed section is much more demanding. Use an appropriate mountain or local forecast and check the elevation represented by the chosen location; do not silently treat the town forecast as a summit forecast.
The explorer changes gusts while holding the other example inputs fixed. That helps show why a wind cap can apply even when the day is dry and mild. It cannot estimate balance, footing, a steep drop or the effect of carrying a large pack.
Choose the route around its hardest exposed section
An alternative that avoids a ridge may be more useful than accepting a difficult hour in the hope of reaching shelter later. Think about both directions of travel and whether the return route becomes more exposed. A loop can remove the easy option to turn around.
The same wind also interacts with cold and rain in the model. Layering can improve comfort, but it does not remove a gust cap or establish that you can maintain control on the terrain. Treat unstable footing or difficulty standing as direct information that matters beyond the score.
Worked examples from the existing scorer
These complete hypothetical hours run through the same scoring functions used by the live tool. They are not observations or forecasts. The displayed effective score includes any cap.
| Example | Effective score | Verdict | Model reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gusts 30 km/h | 85/100 | GO | gusty on exposed trails |
| Gusts 45 km/h | 64/100 | MAYBE | gusty on exposed trails · MAYBE cap |
| Gusts 55 km/h | 40/100 | NO-GO | strong gusts · NOGO cap |
Exact example inputs and units
temp and feels: °C; wind and gust: km/h; precipitation: mm/h; visibility: m; rain probability, cloud and humidity: %. Weather code is WMO; UV is an index. Pressure, where shown, is context in hPa and does not affect this scorer.
[
{
"example": "Gusts 30 km/h",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 30,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
},
{
"example": "Gusts 45 km/h",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 45,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
},
{
"example": "Gusts 55 km/h",
"inputs": {
"temp": 15,
"feels": 15,
"precip": 0,
"pop": 0,
"wind": 10,
"gust": 55,
"vis": 20000,
"code": 0,
"cloud": 10,
"humidity": 60,
"uv": 0,
"pressure": 1010
}
}
]Planning bands and the limits of the number
The existing model starts at 100, subtracts its condition penalties and applies critical caps. GO is 70–100, MAYBE 45–69 and NO-GO 0–44. A MAYBE cap limits the effective score to 64, and a NO-GO cap to 40. These are application suitability bands, not certified safe operating limits.
Rain branches are alternatives: matching probability, intensity and weather-code triggers do not mean adding the same rain penalty repeatedly. Separate factors can combine. A cap prevents benign temperature or dry weather from cancelling a critical flagged condition. Use the reasons beside the result to understand what changed.
The model requires complete numeric weather inputs. Missing visibility, rain probability or another required value returns Insufficient data; it is never filled with an invented favourable value. Local warnings, closures, equipment instructions and actual observations can change your decision even when the model returns GO.
Read the full hiking methodology and thresholds. The model and these examples were cross-checked on 18 October 2026. No physical field-test or safety certification is claimed.
Equipment and an alternative plan
Check local warnings and a forecast appropriate to the elevation. Use a lower, sheltered route or postpone if exposure is unsuitable. Secure loose equipment and keep the group’s turn-back decision simple; the numerical score does not measure the consequences of a stumble.
Questions about Hiking in wind: ridges, summits and exposed gusts
Are these summit measurements?
No. They are model values for the selected point.
Why does a dry day become MAYBE?
The gust cap applies independently of rainfall.
Will better clothing remove the wind cap?
No. Equipment is not used to offset the weather score.
Sources and limits
The numeric application bands come from the existing GoNoGo scorer and methodology. External guidance is linked for its stated context; it is not presented as endorsement of this model.
Live forecast data is supplied by Open-Meteo. An illustrative model output is different from a live forecast, and a forecast is different from a local observation.