# Weather Along Your Route: How to Plan Around Wind, Rain and Heat

The forecast for every part of your route at the time you reach it — temperature, rain, head or tail wind, gusts — with storm, cold and darkness warnings.

Updated 2026-10-26 · TrailScout blog

## Quick answer

In TrailScout open a route, press the weather strip (☁ Weather), choose Forecast, a day in the next 10 and your start time, and press Load. The forecast is shown for every part of the route at the time you'll reach it — temperature and feels-like, rain, wind as headwind, tailwind or crosswind, gusts — with warnings for thunderstorms, gusts of 50 km/h or more, cold, rain, and finishing after sunset. The 3D view shows the same weather.

## Key takeaways

- The forecast follows your ride — the valley at 9:00, the ridge at 12:30 — not one point at one time.
- Wind is shown relative to your direction of travel.
- Change the start time and watch the warnings change; pick the best window.
- The last forecast is kept for offline use; “What if” presets work without a connection.

A forecast for “the town” at “today” isn't much use on a 70 km mountain ride. You'll be in the valley at 9:00, on the ridge at 12:30 and descending into another valley at 15:00 — three places, three times, three forecasts. TrailScout puts them together for you.

## How to see the weather along your route

1. Open the route in [TrailScout](index.html?app).
2. Press the **weather strip** above the profile (or **☁ Weather** in the 3D view).
3. Choose **Forecast**, the **day** (the next 10 days) and **Start at** — the time you start riding.
4. Press **Load the forecast for this route**.
5. The strip shows the weather at each part of the route **at the time you get there**, worked out with your estimated riding speed.

## What you see

- **Temperature** and **feels like**.
- **Rain** — how likely, how much.
- **Wind**: speed and **gusts**, and whether it's a **headwind**, **tailwind** or **crosswind** for the way you're riding there.
- **Arrival times** along the route.
- **Warnings**: thunderstorm expected around km X, strong gusts (50 km/h / 31 mph or more), cold, rain likely from about km X, and **you'd finish after sunset**.

## Find the best start time

Change **Start at** and the forecast moves with you. A thunderstorm at km 45 at 14:00 may be avoided by starting an hour earlier — or by [reversing the route](blog/plan-mountain-bike-route-on-trails.html) so you're over the exposed ridge in the morning.

> **Tip:** check the forecast again the evening before and the morning of the ride: mountain forecasts change.

## Weather in 3D

With a forecast loaded, the [3D view](blog/preview-bike-route-in-3d.html) shows the weather where and when you'll be: clouds and their shadows, rain, snow, fog, wind-swayed trees, lightning, wet ground — and the sun at its real position. During a [virtual ride](blog/virtual-ride-flythrough.html) the weather and the light follow the ride clock.

**What if** presets — sunny, cloudy, light rain, heavy rain, storm, snow, fog — let you see the route in any weather, offline.

*Screenshot: A what-if heavy-rain preset in 3D — What if: heavy rain over the route in 3D.*

## Sources

The forecast comes from free weather services that need no key. You can choose the weather model in the panel; the default picks the best match for the place. The last forecast is kept on your device — offline, it's shown as “last known forecast”.

## Frequently asked questions

### How far ahead can I see the weather along my route?
Up to 10 days. Forecasts more than 3–4 days ahead are rough — check again closer to the day.

### How does it know when I'll reach each part?
From the route's estimated time with your rider model (weight, power, surfaces, gradient) and your start time.

### Does it show wind direction relative to my route?
Yes — headwind, tailwind or crosswind for your direction of travel at each part.

### Will it warn me if I'll finish in the dark?
Yes — “You would finish after sunset” with the sunset time.