The forecast for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Washington shows the likely direction aircraft land from and take off towards. Actual runway use can differ because of air traffic control, traffic, weather and local procedures.
What the forecast means and how it is calculated.
Runway direction describes which runway direction an airport is likely to use. At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, this means aircraft land from a certain compass direction and take off towards the matching runway direction.
The calculation compares current wind direction with known runway headings. The runway with as much headwind and as little crosswind as possible is preferred.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is located near Washington in United States. The airport has 3 runways, the longest is about 2.185 m. Field elevation is about 5 m.
The actual decision is made by air traffic control. Closed runways, traffic, storm cells, noise abatement procedures or operational rules can make real runway use differ from the forecast.