Besides METAR, there are other ways that pilots are able to gain information on incoming weather conditions, and one of the most common ways is via a dedicated wind forecast. An aviation wind forecast, sometimes also known as a winds aloft forecast, is a type of forecast that reports wind conditions at certain altitudes. This type of forecast is specifically used for aviation purposes, and can sometimes include information about the temperature, too.
In these types of forecasts, the easiest way to begin reading them is by first understanding what the different components of the forecast mean. Focusing on the wind conditions, the wind direction within this type of forecast will be displayed as ‘DD’ while the wind speed will be displayed as ‘SS’. In a report, both of these components are displayed in a simple 4-digit number sequence (eg. 3287) indicating that the wind direction is 320 degrees north, and the wind speed is 87 knots. Keep in mind that the wind direction is always rounded up to the nearest 10 degrees and that the trailing zero is almost always excluded.