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FAQ

Is there an open-source alternative to Windfinder and Windy?

Yes, Windfenster: a wind forecast with measured wind, a model ranking per station and an animated wind map, under the AGPL, to run on your own server. It does not copy their data: everything comes from open sources (Data sources).

How is Windfenster different from Windfinder and Windy?

  • It shows which model was right at each station: every model is checked against the measurements every hour, and the page opens with the best one there (Forecasts and models).
  • Measured, TAF and forecast in one table, hour by hour, so you see at a glance whether the forecast is holding today.
  • The map blends ICON-D2 at 2.2 km into the global models without an edge, and at town zoom the particles keep the wind's colours.
  • Your gear and your spot's directions turn the forecast into "it works from 14 to 17".
  • It runs on your own server, without tracking or ads.

Can I self-host it, for free?

Yes. One Docker container (Installation), on amd64 or arm64, about 6 GB of disk with the defaults. The free Open-Meteo API is for non-commercial use; commercially you need an Open-Meteo subscription or your own Open-Meteo.

Which weather models does it use?

ICON-D2, AROME and HARMONIE (1.5–2.2 km, Europe) and ECMWF IFS and GFS (worldwide) for the forecast pages; ICON-D2, ICON global and ECMWF IFS on the map. Plus the Windfenster mix, weighted by how well each model hit at the station.

Does it work outside Germany?

Yes: the map and the global models cover the world, and every airport that sends METAR reports is a station. The regional models (ICON-D2, AROME, HARMONIE) and the DWD's wind stations are European; water gauges are German rivers.

How do I run my server without editing files?

On the admin page: what the background tasks and data sources are doing, the Open-Meteo budget, when the map's basemap and relief are downloaded, the models and limits, accounts and sign-up, backups and the log. The first admin is made once on the server with windfenster admin you@example.org; settings the environment sets stay locked there.

Can I get a wind alarm for my kite spot?

Yes. Save the spot with the wind directions that work there, enter your kites or wings, and set the alarm: Windfenster tells you ahead from the forecast and/or when the station measures it, by push (Android, desktop, iPhone from the home screen) and e-mail (Alarms).

Why does the map look coarse when I zoom in?

The basemap is only as deep as the server cut it: Europe to zoom 8 by default, full detail 20 km around stations and places people opened. Raise WF_BASEMAP_ZOOM, or cut your own area deeper (The basemap and relief).

Why do I see no particles on the map?

The map needs WebGL2. On older versions, Chrome and Brave on Linux with an AMD card showed no particles (a driver reads textures at too low precision); that is fixed from v0.1.6. With reduce motion set in the system, arrows that stand still take the particles' place.

Where does the data come from, and is it up to date?

Measurements every 10 minutes (METAR, DWD), TAFs every 30, forecasts after every new model run, the map's fields every 10 minutes as the weather services publish them. Every source and its licence: Data sources.