Why are trade winds so predictable??

Question

Why are trade winds so predictable??

Answer 1

They are blowing throughout the year.No need to predict.Only thing is that it may be weak during some part of the year.Only on such a situation,El Nino occurs.Predicting it is something like saying that 'the sun will rise tomorrow morning'.

Answer 2

At the equator the air is rising, hot air rises, remember, and when it cools it descends in the latitudes north and south of the equator and are very predictable and called the trade winds. They blow from east to west.  Sailors leaving Europe and heading west would catch these predictable winds to North America and the Caribbean.  To sail back to Europe the need to go further north and catch westerly winds.