Windy...cold...

[doug*platypus]

Ah, Nilpaurion Felagund, well observed. I'm now on my 6th (ish) reading of The Silmarillion and I'm finding countless small passages such as this taking on incredible significance. For a fairly small tome, it contains a huge amount of action and events. I personally missed the significance of the wind the first time round, but I would bet that yes it does mean something.

In my humble opinion it sounds more like an action of anger and frustration. A rebuke and a defiance of Melkor, whose despotic and sadistic actions become more evil as the tale unfolds. To me it seems to be an indication that the Valar may still be stirred to wrath against him. Of course, such emotions really are against the nature of Manwë, and I could be horribly wrong.

Gandalf himself, one of the Maiar who served Manwe.

Although Gandalf did serve the purposes of Manwë, wasn't he actually a Maia of Lórien, who did the odd job for Nienna now and then? Righto, off to that weather thread...