Short answer: You can check in about five minutes. Note your route, departure time and cruise altitude, then open three free official sources on aviationweather.gov: the turbulence forecast map (up to 18 hours ahead), any SIGMET warnings near your route, and recent pilot reports. An app can do the same for your exact route. Either way, it's a likelihood, not a promise.
Key facts
- The Aviation Weather Center's Graphical Forecasts for Aviation cover the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, the Gulf and Caribbean, and parts of the Atlantic and Pacific. [1]
- Its turbulence layer forecasts up to 18 hours ahead, and its nowcast of current turbulence updates every 15 minutes over the contiguous US. [2]
- You can view turbulence at levels from FL030 to FL480, or pick ">180" to see the strongest value anywhere at or above 18,000 feet. [2]
- A SIGMET warns of severe or extreme turbulence and is valid for up to 4 hours; graphical AIRMETs flag moderate turbulence at 3-hour steps. [3]
- Public pilot reports come mainly from the US and the North Atlantic. [4]
- Storm-related turbulence was present in 57.7% of US airline turbulence accidents from 2009 to 2018, so look at storms as well as wind. [3]
How to check turbulence for your flight in 5 minutes
- Note your route and times. Departure and arrival airports, departure time and flight time.
- Find your likely cruise altitude. Look up your flight number on a free flight-tracking site and check the altitude it flew on recent days. High altitudes are shown as flight levels: FL350 means about 35,000 feet.
- Open the turbulence map. On aviationweather.gov, open the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) page and choose the Turbulence layer [1]. Drag the time slider to your flight time, and set the level slider to the level nearest your cruise altitude, or to ">180" for the strongest turbulence anywhere at or above FL180 [2].
- Turn on warnings. In the products menu, show SIGMETs and G-AIRMETs [1].
- Turn on pilot reports. Show PIREPs, and click any report to decode it [1].
- Check again before you leave. Warnings last up to 4 hours [3], so a fresh look a few hours before departure gives your best picture.
If you'd rather not read pilot maps, a turbulence app does steps 2 to 5 for your exact route. Our turbulence app comparison shows what each one includes.
How to read what you see
| What you see | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Turbulence colors along your route | A forecast of how turbulent the air is likely to be, in EDR. Open the legend in the bottom right corner to read the colors [2] |
| A SIGMET near your route | Forecasters expect widespread severe or extreme turbulence, or strong storms, in that area for up to 4 hours [3]. Airlines and pilots plan around it |
| A G-AIRMET for turbulence | Moderate turbulence is possible in that area at that time [3] |
| A pilot report (PIREP) | What one crew felt at that place, altitude and time, from light to extreme |
| Nothing on your route | Smoother air is more likely. Not certain |
Match the numbers to your airplane. The map shows the air, not the ride, and bigger airplanes feel the same air less. The Aviation Weather Center counts moderate from an EDR of 20 (×100) for a medium airliner such as an A320 or 737, and from 24 for a heavy one such as a 777. Severe begins at 44 and 54 [2]. If you're curious why, see do bigger planes feel less turbulence?
Look at where and when, not just whether. Twenty minutes of light bumps two hours in is a very different flight from a bumpy climb-out. Plan your restroom visit and hot drink for the smoother stretches. Turbulence levels explained shows what light and moderate feel like.
Check the cause. Storms move and grow, and pilots fly around them. Bumps from the jet stream tend to sit in bands that crews can sometimes climb or descend out of. Pilot reports tell you what's out there right now; read them with what a PIREP is open beside you.
Today or tomorrow?
What you can check depends on how far away your flight is:
| Your flight leaves in | What's available | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 3 days | Forecasts from weather models along your route | Apps and model-based forecast sites |
| Within 18 hours | The official turbulence map (GTG) for your altitude and time [2] | aviationweather.gov |
| Within a few hours | Current SIGMETs (valid up to 4 hours) and G-AIRMETs (3-hour steps) [3] | aviationweather.gov |
| Right now | The 15-minute nowcast over the US [2] and the latest pilot reports [1] | aviationweather.gov |
For tomorrow's flight, look at a model-based forecast today, then check the official map and warnings again in the morning. To understand what those forecasts are built from, read how turbulence forecasts work.
What a turbulence check can and can't tell you
It can tell you:
- Whether bumps are more or less likely on your route, and roughly where and when.
- Whether official warnings for severe turbulence or storms are out near your route.
- What pilots have actually felt recently near your path.
It can't tell you:
- The exact bump. Forecasts describe areas and odds, not the moment you'll feel a jolt.
- Every storm. New thunderstorms can form between updates.
- What your airline knows. Many professional turbulence products are proprietary [3], and your crew also has radar and reports from other aircraft.
- Your exact path. Air traffic control and your pilots may change your route or altitude, often to find smoother air.
Even professionals can't catch everything: in the NTSB's study, flight crews were aware of a turbulence risk before 53.2% of the turbulence accidents [3]. That's why the seat belt matters more than any forecast. If you're wondering how good forecasts really are, we tested ours against 3,083 pilot reports: see how accurate turbulence forecasts are.
What to do with the answer
- Smooth forecast: enjoy it, but keep your belt fastened whenever you're seated.
- Light bumps forecast: normal and harmless for a belted passenger. Keep drinks on the tray during that stretch.
- Moderate stretch forecast: plan to be in your seat then, belt snug. Uncomfortable, well within what airliners are built for; see is turbulence dangerous?
- Choosing a seat: where you sit changes how the bumps feel; see the best seat for turbulence.
How Sorapuff helps
Sorapuff does the whole check for your route. You enter two airports and a departure time; it estimates where your plane will be and how high, minute by minute, reads NOAA's GFS winds at that height, computes a well-known clear-air turbulence index, and adds SIGMETs and pilot reports from the last 3 hours. You get a timeline of smooth, light or moderate, and "severe" only ever comes from an official SIGMET. The free version includes one route forecast from 24 hours before departure; Pro is $14.99 once for unlimited forecasts up to three days ahead. It's a likelihood: always follow your crew.
FAQ
Can I check turbulence for my flight for free?
Yes. The Aviation Weather Center's Graphical Forecasts for Aviation on aviationweather.gov show official US turbulence forecasts up to 18 hours ahead, SIGMET and G-AIRMET warnings and recent pilot reports, all free. They're built for pilots, so set the time and altitude to match your flight. Several apps and websites also offer a free route forecast.
Can I check turbulence for tomorrow's flight?
Yes, roughly. Model-based forecasts in apps and on forecast websites look one to three days ahead and show where bumps are more likely along your route. The official US turbulence map reaches 18 hours ahead, and warnings cover about the next 4 hours, so look again on the morning of your flight.
What altitude should I look at on a turbulence map?
Your cruise altitude, which you can find from recent days of the same flight on a flight-tracking site. Jets usually show it as a flight level, such as FL350 for about 35,000 feet. On aviationweather.gov you can also choose ">180" to see the strongest turbulence anywhere at or above FL180 in one view.
What if the forecast shows moderate turbulence on my route?
Plan to be seated with your belt snug during that stretch, and keep hot drinks on the tray. Moderate turbulence makes walking and service difficult, but it's well within what airliners are built for, and pilots often find smoother air by changing altitude. A forecast is a likelihood: many forecast bumps turn out milder.
Should I change my flight because of a turbulence forecast?
Usually there's no need. Forecasts a day or more out change, and airlines plan around warnings for severe turbulence. If a forecast worries you, check it again closer to departure, think about where you sit, and keep your belt fastened when seated. For a nervous flyer, knowing when the bumps are likely is often more calming than avoiding them.
Sources
- Graphical Forecasts for Aviation help, Aviation Weather Center (NOAA)
- Graphical Forecasts for Aviation help: Turbulence, Aviation Weather Center (NOAA)
- Preventing Turbulence-Related Injuries in Air Carrier Operations Conducted Under Title 14 CFR Part 121, Safety Research Report SS-21/01 (2021), NTSB
- Data API, Aviation Weather Center