Turbulence Forecast: John F Kennedy International Airport → Los Angeles International Airport

KJFK KLAX

John F Kennedy International Airport Los Angeles International Airport

Route Information

Departure

KJFK (JFK)

Distance

3,974.2 km (2,145.9 nautical miles)

Arrival

KLAX (LAX)

Flight Time

371 minutes (6h 11m)

Flight Profile

Cruise Altitude: 40,000 ft (Flight Level 400)

Route calculated using great circle navigation

Turbulence Comfort Along Route Comfort View

Comfort Score: Combines turbulence probability (GTG forecast) with intensity (ZTI analysis). High scores indicate both high probability AND high intensity turbulence.

Smooth

Comfortable

Noticeable

Uncomfortable

Formula: (Probability × Intensity)

Flight Smoothness Score

9.4 /10

Smoothness

Smooth Flight

77%

Smooth

21%

Light

Moderate

AI-Powered Flight Briefing

📊 8,000 data points analyzed

Advanced AI-Powered Flight Briefing

Your Flight

We analysed more than 8,000 data points along your route from John F Kennedy International Airport, New York to Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles.

Your Journey Beta

1 hour 15 minutes into the flight: Some moderate bumps expected.
The crew may adjust altitude or ask you to stay seated during these sections.
The rest of the flight should be smooth.

Your route takes you over the Appalachian Mountains, over the Rocky Mountains, and over the Sierra Nevada – these areas can sometimes cause turbulence.

Smooth Flight

We're expecting smooth conditions throughout your flight. You can sit back and relax.

Takeoff

Takeoff should feel smooth, with calm conditions around the airport.

Winds Aloft

Winds at cruising altitude are about 29 knots.

Landing

Landing should feel a bit bumpy on descent with typical approach conditions.

You're in Safe Hands

If you feel nervous at any point, remember that turbulence is expected, safe, and part of normal flying. The crew is monitoring everything, and the aircraft is built to handle far more than anything you will feel. Have a safe and calm flight.

Relaxation Exercises

Live data from ECMWF global forecast models • 12 atmospheric pressure levels analyzed • Updated every 6 hours

Most Common

SMOOTH

77% of your flight

Peak Intensity

MODERATE

Brief sections only

Route Breakdown (81 zones)

Moderate

2 zones (2%)

Light

17 zones (21%)

Smooth

62 zones (77%)

Forecast Valid: Jul 16, 18:00 UTC (Generated: Jul 16, 18:00 UTC)

Flight Timeline 6h 11min

Maximum turbulence expected per segment

Takeoff

Smooth

0:30-0:59

Light

0:59-1:28

Moderate

1:28-1:57

Light

1:57-2:25

Smooth

2:25-2:53

Smooth

2:53-3:21

Smooth

3:21-3:49

Light

3:49-4:17

Smooth

4:17-4:45

Smooth

4:45-5:13

Smooth

5:13-5:41

Light

Landing

Moderate

Smooth

Light

Moderate

Severe

Longer bars indicate higher turbulence intensity. Values shown are the maximum for each time segment.

Turbulence Metrics ZTI and EDR

Comparing Two Turbulence Metrics:

ZTI (ZeroTurb Index): Our proprietary composite metric (0.0-1.0 scale)
EDR (Eddy Dissipation Rate): ICAO/WMO official standard (m^(2/3)/s scale)

ZTI Scale (Custom)

Smooth
<0.2

Light
0.2-0.5

Moderate
0.5-0.75

Severe
>0.75

EDR Scale (ICAO)

Smooth
<0.1

Light
0.1-0.4

Moderate
0.4-0.7

Severe
>0.7

Detailed Analysis Below: While flights generally follow these patterns, our advanced turbulence prediction system analyzes real-time weather data, atmospheric conditions, and pilot reports to provide you with precise, route-specific forecasts. Review the detailed metrics and interactive maps below for a comprehensive understanding of expected conditions along your flight path.

How Aircraft Size Affects Your Comfort

Did you know that the size of your aircraft can affect how turbulence feels? Larger, wide-body aircraft have more mass and inertia, which means they absorb turbulent air movements more smoothly. Smaller regional jets and turboprops are lighter, so passengers may feel more noticeable movement during the same turbulence conditions.

Important: All commercial aircraft, regardless of size, are designed and certified to safely handle even severe turbulence. The difference is only in passenger comfort - not safety.

Learn more about how aircraft size affects your turbulence experience

Technical Forecast Details Advanced Analysis

Prefer a simpler overview?

Return to Simplified View

Comprehensive Flight Profile Altitude • Wind • Turbulence

Flight Altitude Profile

X-axis: Distance along route (km)
Y-axis (left): Aircraft altitude (feet)
Blue = Climb phase
Green = Cruise phase
Orange = Descent phase

Pilot Reports (PIREPs)

Real turbulence reports from pilots who recently flew near your route:

Green = Smooth (no turbulence)
Yellow = Light turbulence
Orange = Moderate turbulence
Red = Severe turbulence

Wind Speed

Y-axis (right): Wind speed in knots
Sudden wind changes often indicate turbulence
Hover over points to see wind direction

AI Comfort Forecast

Y-axis (right): Comfort Score (0-70)
<1 = Smooth (cyan)
1-25 = Light (green)
25-50 = Moderate (orange)
>50 = Severe (red)

Tip: Look for areas where multiple indicators coincide (e.g., pilot reports + AI forecast + wind changes) to identify the most likely turbulence zones.

Global Winds Forecast ECMWF Open Data Worldwide Coverage

Route-Specific Forecast: Wind data calculated at 81 waypoints along your flight path using high-resolution ECMWF global weather model (0.25° grid, ~25km resolution).

Minimum Winds

5 kt

6 mph

Average Winds

29 kt

33 mph

Maximum Winds

71 kt

81 mph

Valid: Jul 16, 21:00 UTC

Source: European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts

Flight Planning: Headwinds increase flight time and fuel consumption. Tailwinds decrease both. Strong crosswinds may affect takeoff/landing at airports.

Wind Impact Analysis GOOD

Wind Assessment: Light headwinds (6 kt avg) will have minimal impact on flight time. Light crosswinds averaging 19 kt - minimal impact

Route Wind Breakdown

Tailwinds

38 zones (47%)

Headwinds

15 zones (19%)

Crosswinds

27 zones (33%)

Minimal headwinds/tailwinds - typical flight time expected

Flight Time Impact

6 kt

Avg Headwind

+4 min

Time Impact

Slower than normal

Wind Range:
• Max Tailwind: 22 kt
• Max Headwind: 57 kt
• Max Crosswind: 44 kt

Wind Speed Along Route ECMWF Forecast

ZeroTurb Index (ZTI) Analysis Custom Algorithm

What is ZTI? Our proprietary ZeroTurb Index combines three meteorological indicators to give you a comprehensive turbulence probability (0.0-1.0 scale). The chart below shows how each component contributes to the overall ZTI along your route:

Richardson Number (Ri): Atmospheric stability - lower values indicate CAT risk
Wind Shear Index (WSI): Rate of wind speed/direction changes
Temperature Gradient Index (TGI): Frontal boundary strength
ZTI (Composite): Proprietary composite of the three indices above

ZTI Thresholds: Smooth: 0.0-0.2 Light: 0.2-0.5 Moderate: 0.5-0.75 Severe: 0.75-1.0

Scientific GTG Analysis NOAA Standards

For Aviation Professionals: This section shows turbulence zones using conservative NOAA GTG thresholds. These scientific thresholds are more cautious than the user-friendly "Comfort View" above, which better represents typical passenger experience.

Note: Modern aircraft are designed to handle moderate turbulence effortlessly. What scientific models classify as "moderate" often goes unnoticed by passengers due to advanced flight control systems and aircraft structural design. Most commercial flights encounter some level of atmospheric turbulence that the aircraft manages automatically.

Zone Distribution (Scientific Thresholds)

40%

Smooth (<15%)

32 zones

27%

Light (15-30%)

22 zones

32%

Moderate (30-50%)

26 zones

Severe (≥50% prob)

1 zones

Threshold Comparison

Category	Comfort View	Scientific (NOAA)
Smooth	<20% probability	<15% probability
Light	20-50%	15-30%
Moderate	50-75%	30-50%
Severe	≥75%	≥50%

Turbulence Probability Along Route GTG Forecast

Low (0-30%)
Light or no turbulence

Medium (30-50%)
Moderate turbulence likely

High (50-70%)
Moderate-severe expected

Extreme (70-100%)
Severe turbulence

Active SIGMETs (Turbulence Warnings) 8 Warnings

SIGMETs are official warnings about significant turbulence that may affect flight safety. Always consult official aviation weather briefings before flight.