Travel Weather
Flight Turbulence Weather Guide: Storms, Jet Streams, Mountains, and Clear-Air Bumps
A plain-English guide to weather turbulence, including thunderstorms, jet streams, mountain waves, and why clear-air turbulence is hard to see.
Quick answer: Turbulence is bumpy air caused by changing wind, rising and sinking motion, terrain, storms, or strong wind speed differences aloft.
Storm turbulence
Thunderstorms can produce strong updrafts, downdrafts, and wind shear, so pilots avoid the strongest cells by distance.
Turbulence can also exist around storm anvils and nearby boundaries.
Clear-air turbulence
Clear-air turbulence often occurs near jet streams or sharp wind changes aloft, sometimes without visible clouds.
It is harder for passengers to anticipate because the sky may look calm.
Passenger safety
The simplest protection is keeping your seat belt fastened whenever seated.
Forecasts and pilot reports help crews plan, but turbulence can still change along the route.