How does FlightAware know what the winds are for the en route segments of a flight?
Winds aloft are computer prepared four times a day by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and contain forecast wind direction and speed as well as forecast temperatures. FlightAware currently extracts the forecasts for each three-hour interval for 30 hours into the future as each forecast is delivered, for the entire continental United States. FlightAware currently has winds aloft every 3000 feet between 3,000ft and 48,000ft at 1 degree intervals.
