Originally Posted by
Genghis the Engineer
But they should have all of that sorted in their minds before they turn final - and I'd argue most times before they turn base.
I'd argue that knowing the expected wind, plus the breakdown in headwind and crosswind, is one of the most important pieces of information required in the planning phase of the flight. If the crosswind is outside club/aircraft/personal limits, then it doesn't even make sense to show up for the flight. If it's close to limits, you may need to consider passenger comfort or maybe replanning the flight to a more suitable airfield.
The wind that you get through METARs, VOLMET, ATIS, from ATC, or whatever, is merely confirmation of something you should know already. And a chance to detect any deviations.