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Turbulence Forecast for Your Flight
Will your flight be bumpy? Enter where you are flying from and to, and we check the route against NOAA turbulence forecasts, severe-weather warnings and what pilots have reported in the last 90 minutes, then explain it in plain English on a map.
The route is drawn as a great circle; airlines often fly a different track to use the winds or to avoid rough air. Tap an area or a dot for details.
Pilot reports near your route
Reports from the last 90 minutes near the part of the route flown in the next 3 hours, at a similar height.
For a flight that is already booked, the Flight Tracker shows the same ride forecast for that exact flight, updated as it flies. Weather at either end: Airport Weather. Delays: Airport Delays Now.
What is turbulence?
Turbulence is air that is moving unevenly: rising, sinking or swirling, the way water tumbles in a fast river. When an aircraft flies through it, the wings meet slightly different air from one moment to the next, and you feel that as bumps, sways or a short drop. It is a normal part of flying, like waves on a boat trip, and airliners are built to take far more than the roughest air they meet.
Light, moderate and severe: what you feel in the cabin
A slight, rhythmic bumpiness. Drinks ripple, walking is easy, and the seat belt sign may come on. Most flights have some.
Stronger bumps: you feel pushed against your seat belt, unsecured objects move and the crew may pause the service. Uncomfortable, but common.
Rare. The aircraft jolts hard and anything loose is thrown about. Pilots work hard to avoid it, and forecasts and reports exist to help them do that.
Moderate turbulence is uncomfortable but routine, and it is not dangerous for a seated passenger wearing a seat belt. The aircraft is not close to its limits, and pilots slow down to a set turbulence speed and often change altitude to find smoother air. The injuries that do happen in turbulence are nearly all to people who were standing or not strapped in, which is why the crew asks you to keep your belt fastened whenever you are seated.
Where turbulence comes from
- The jet stream. Fast rivers of wind high up, often over 150 mph. Where they speed up, slow down or bend, the layers of air rub against each other and make clear-air turbulence, which you cannot see. This is the usual cause of bumps at cruising altitude, and it is strongest in winter.
- Mountains. Wind blowing over a mountain range breaks into waves and eddies downwind of it, like water over rocks. Flights over the Rockies, the Alps or the Andes can be bumpy on windy days.
- Thunderstorms. Storm clouds hold strong up- and downdrafts. Airliners steer well clear of them, often by 20 miles or more, but the air around them can still be lively.
- Near the ground. On hot afternoons and on windy days, air churns near the ground, so the climb and the approach can be bumpy even when cruise is smooth.
How this forecast works
We draw your route as a great circle between the two airports, with a typical climb, cruise and descent, and check each part of it, at the height and the time the aircraft should be there, against:
- NOAA G-AIRMETs: turbulence forecasts for US airspace from the National Weather Service, issued every few hours and looking about 12 hours ahead.
- SIGMETs: warnings of severe turbulence, thunderstorms and tropical cyclones, in the US and worldwide.
- Pilot reports (PIREPs): what pilots near your route have actually felt in the last 90 minutes.
It is a forecast, not a guarantee. Turbulence can form where nothing was forecast, and forecast areas are often smoother than drawn. Outside the US only warnings and pilot reports are available, so the check is less detailed there. Your crew has much more: live reports from other aircraft, company meteorologists and the radar in the nose.
Tips for nervous flyers
- Pick a seat over the wing. It is near the aircraft's center of gravity, where it moves the least; the back rows move the most.
- Keep your seat belt fastened whenever you are seated, snug and low across your lap, even when the sign is off.
- Fly in the morning when you can. Over land the air is often smoother before the sun heats the ground, and thunderstorms usually build in the afternoon.
- Remember that bumps are normal. The pilots expect them, the aircraft is built for far worse, and a chime or a seat belt sign is routine, not a warning of danger.
- Breathe slowly and look ahead or out of the window at the horizon. Something to listen to helps too.
Questions
Is turbulence dangerous?
For a passenger wearing a seat belt, almost never. Airliners are built to take far more than the roughest air they meet, and pilots plan around the worst areas. The injuries that do happen are nearly all to people who were not strapped in, so keep your seat belt fastened whenever you are seated.
What do light, moderate and severe turbulence feel like?
Light turbulence is a slight, rhythmic bumpiness: drinks ripple and walking is easy. Moderate turbulence is stronger: you feel pushed against your seat belt, unsecured objects move and the crew may stop the service. Severe turbulence is rare: the aircraft jolts hard and anything loose is thrown about, and pilots work hard to avoid it.
How accurate is this turbulence forecast?
It is a forecast, not a guarantee. Over the United States it uses NOAA's G-AIRMET turbulence forecasts, which look about 12 hours ahead; everywhere it uses SIGMET warnings and pilot reports from the last 90 minutes. Outside the US only warnings and reports are available, so the check is less detailed there. Turbulence can also form where nothing was forecast.
Where is the best seat to avoid turbulence?
A seat over the wing, near the aircraft's center of gravity, moves the least; seats at the very back move the most. Morning flights are often smoother over land, before the sun heats the ground and stirs up the air.
More for your trip
Forecasts and reports: NOAA Aviation Weather Center (aviationweather.gov), refreshed every 10 minutes. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. cwsi.net is not affiliated with NOAA, the FAA or any airline; the plain-English wording is ours, and your crew's information always comes first.