Originally Posted by
Korina
Isn't "headwind" a synonym for "prevailing wind"?
No. A prevailing wind is a wind that comes into a region from a particular direction, and is usually timely and expected on an annual basis (whether its common all year or just seasonally depends on local weather conditions). Sailors have long relied on knowledge of prevailing winds to navigate throughout the world. The Santa Anas, the Bura in the Adriatic, whatever... Many strong and consistent prevailing winds have names and are even associated with myths and legends due to the way they characterize local phenomenon.
A headwind is simply a wind that's coming at something in the opposite direction of motion - a tailwind accompanies motion in the same direction. A prevailing wind can be either, depending on whether you're going towards or away from it, just as any random gust of air can also be a head or tail wind for the same reasons!
Cheers!
-Gregory
(p.s. I like wind a lot... Maybe because it's such a elusive thing here on the east side of the San Joaquin valley.)