Found a trick for spotting wind shifts before they mess up a pick

I was on a job in Tulsa last Tuesday lifting HVAC units onto a 6-story roof. The wind was gusting around 15 mph but I kept getting pushed off my mark right when I thought I had it. My spotter was yelling corrections but it was too late. I tried using a ribbon tied to my outrigger line to watch the wind direction but that didn't help much. Then an old timer I worked with years ago told me to watch the leaves on a nearby tree instead of just the flag on the roof. The tree showed me the gusts were coming in bursts every 20 seconds or so. I timed my lift between those gusts and it made a huge difference. Has anyone else used tree leaves or something else to read the wind better?

2 comments

2 Comments

amy_sanchez15d agoMost Upvoted

Dry grass? That's a new one on me, and I've been at this since the 90s. I guess I can see how it'd show the swirling stuff between buildings or near the ground. Might have to try that next time I'm fighting a tricky rooftop pick.

the_wyatt15d agoTop Commenter

A buddy of mine swears by tossing a handful of dry grass into the air before making a lift. He said it shows the exact low level gusts near the ground that flags or ribbons miss. Take it with a grain of salt but he claims it saved him from a couple sketchy picks in Oklahoma.