KORD KSFO

Chicago O'Hare International Airport San Francisco International Airport
Route Information
Departure

KORD (ORD)

Distance

2,963.9 km (1,600.4 nautical miles)

Arrival

KSFO (SFO)

Flight Time

292 minutes (4h 52m)

Flight Profile

Cruise Altitude: 36,000 ft (Flight Level 360)

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
7.7 /10
Smoothness
Mostly Smooth
11%
Smooth
85%
Light
3%
Moderate
AI-Powered Flight Briefing
📊 6,000 data points analyzed
Advanced AI-Powered Flight Briefing
Your Flight

We analysed more than 6,000 data points along your route from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago to San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco.

Your Journey Beta

2 hours and 2 hours 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 Rocky Mountains and over the Sierra Nevada – these areas can sometimes cause light turbulence.

Mostly Smooth

Overall conditions look mostly smooth with occasional light bumps. Nothing to worry about.

Takeoff

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

Winds Aloft

Winds at cruising altitude are about 83 knots. These winds may delay arrival by up to 36 minutes.

Landing

Landing should feel smooth with possible light bumps 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
LIGHT
85% of your flight
Peak Intensity
MODERATE
Comfortable flight expected
Route Breakdown (61 zones)
Moderate
2 zones (3%)
Light
52 zones (85%)
Smooth
7 zones (11%)
Forecast Valid: Oct 13, 18:00 UTC (Generated: Oct 13, 18:00 UTC)
Flight Timeline 4h 52min
Maximum turbulence expected per segment
Takeoff
Light
0:30-0:59
Light
0:59-1:28
Light
1:28-1:57
Moderate
1:57-2:26
Moderate
2:26-2:55
Light
2:55-3:24
Light
3:24-3:53
Light
3:53-4:22
Light
Landing
Light
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 forecast combines ECMWF and NOAA weather data, atmospheric conditions, and pilot reports to build a route-specific picture, updated every 6 hours. 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

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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 61 waypoints along your flight path using high-resolution ECMWF global weather model (0.25° grid, ~25km resolution).
Minimum Winds
25 kt
29 mph
Average Winds
83 kt
96 mph
Maximum Winds
126 kt
145 mph
Valid: Oct 13, 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 FAIR
Wind Assessment: Moderate headwinds (64 kt avg) will moderately increase flight time. This is typical for this route.
Route Wind Breakdown
Headwinds
46 zones (75%)
Crosswinds
14 zones (23%)
Strong headwinds averaging 64 kt - longer flight time expected
Flight Time Impact
64 kt
Avg Headwind
+36 min
Time Impact
Slower than normal
Wind Range:
• Max Tailwind: 0 kt
• Max Headwind: 100 kt
• Max Crosswind: 82 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)
7%
Smooth (<15%)
4 zones
10%
Light (15-30%)
6 zones
72%
Moderate (30-50%)
44 zones
11%
Severe (≥50% prob)
7 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) 2 Warnings
SIGMETs are official warnings about significant turbulence that may affect flight safety. Always consult official aviation weather briefings before flight.
SIGMET KKCI Severe Convective
Altitude Range: 0 - 45,000 ft (FL000 - FL450)
Valid: Oct 13, 19:55 UTC - 21:55 UTC
Movement: SW (220°) at 40 kt (~46 mph)
Raw SIGMET: WSUS32 KKCI 131955 MKCC WST 131955 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 46C VALID UNTIL 2155Z IA FROM 20NNE FOD-50SSE MCW-30WNW DSM-40SW FOD-20NNE FOD AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS ABV FL450.
SIGMET KKCI Severe Convective
Altitude Range: 0 - 45,000 ft (FL000 - FL450)
Valid: Oct 13, 20:55 UTC - 22:55 UTC
Movement: W (250°) at 35 kt (~40 mph)
Raw SIGMET: WSUS32 KKCI 132055 MKCC WST 132055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 51C VALID UNTIL 2255Z IA FROM 20NE MCW-60WNW DBQ-50ENE DSM-20WNW FOD-20NE MCW AREA TS MOV FROM 25035KT. TOPS TO FL450.
Active Turbulence Warnings (AIRSIGMETs) Loading...
Lightning Activity (Last Hour) Severe Activity

220

Total Strikes

1 min ago

Latest Strike

Active

Ongoing Activity

1 hour

Time Window
Lightning strikes near your route indicate convective activity (thunderstorms). Active storms detected within the last 15 minutes. Areas with lightning typically have severe turbulence, icing, hail, and strong winds. Avoid these areas by at least 20 nautical miles.
Pilot Reports (PIREPs) - 13 Reports
What are PIREPs? Pilot Reports (PIREPs) are real-time observations from pilots flying the route. They are direct, first-hand reports of actual conditions aloft.
Time (UTC) Intensity Altitude Aircraft Report
Airport Forecasts (TAF) - Next 24-30 Hours
Departure: KORD
Valid: Oct 13 18:00 - Oct 15 00:00 UTC
18:00 - 01:00 UTC
Wind: 270° at 9 kt
Visibility: 6+ SM
Clouds: FEW 2500 ft, SCT 10000 ft
FM 01:00 - 05:00 UTC
Wind: 20° at 6 kt
Visibility: 6+ SM
Clouds: SCT 4000 ft, BKN 9000 ft
PROB PROB 30% 02:00 - 05:00 UTC
Visibility: 5 SM
Weather: -TSRA
Clouds: SCT 2500 ft, BKN 4000 ft (CB)
FM 05:00 - 10:00 UTC
Wind: 50° at 6 kt
Visibility: 6+ SM
Weather: VCTS
Clouds: SCT 3000 ft, OVC 4000 ft (CB)
TEMPO 05:00 - 09:00 UTC
Visibility: 3 SM
Weather: -TSRA BR
Clouds: SCT 2000 ft, BKN 3000 ft (CB)
FM 10:00 - 00:00 UTC
Wind: 30° at 11 kt
Visibility: 6+ SM
Clouds: SCT 1200 ft, BKN 2000 ft
Raw TAF: 
TAF KORD 131741Z 1318/1424 27009KT P6SM FEW025 SCT100 FM140100 02006KT P6SM SCT040 BKN090 PROB30 1402/1405 5SM -TSRA SCT025 BKN040CB FM140500 05006KT P6SM VCTS SCT030 OVC040CB TEMPO 1405/1409 3SM -TSRA BR SCT020 BKN030CB FM141000 03011KT P6SM SCT012 BKN020
Arrival: KSFO
Forecast Valid: Oct 13 18:00 - Oct 15 00:00 UTC
18:00 - 20:00 UTC
Wind: 60° at 5 kt
Visibility: 6+
Clouds: FEW at 1000 ft
FM 20:00 - 04:00 UTC
Wind: 290° at 12 kt
Visibility: 6+
Clouds: SKC
FM 04:00 - 07:00 UTC
Wind: 280° at 6 kt
Visibility: 6+
Clouds: SKC
FM 07:00 - 23:00 UTC
Visibility: 6+
Clouds: SKC
FM 23:00 - 00:00 UTC
Wind: 290° at 12 kt
Visibility: 6+
Clouds: SKC
Raw TAF: 
TAF KSFO 131724Z 1318/1424 06005KT P6SM FEW010 FM132000 29012KT P6SM SKC FM140400 28006KT P6SM SKC FM140700 VRB05KT P6SM SKC FM142300 29012KT P6SM SKC
About TAF: Terminal Area Forecasts (TAF) provide detailed 24-30 hour weather forecasts for airports, including wind, visibility, cloud ceiling, and weather phenomena. Updated every 6 hours by NOAA Aviation Weather Center.
Current Airport Weather (METAR)
Departure: KORD
Temperature: 26°C (78°F) | Dewpoint: 14°C
Wind: 270° at 7 kt
Sky: SCT15000 (Base: 15000 ft)
Flight Category: VFR
Altimeter: 1010.90 inHg (1010 mb)
Observed: Oct 13 20:51 UTC
Raw METAR: 
METAR KORD 132051Z 27007KT 10SM SCT150 26/14 A2985 RMK AO2 SLP104 T02560144 53002 $
Arrival: KSFO
Temperature: 22°C (71°F) | Dewpoint: 2°C
Wind: 0° at 0 kt
Sky: CLR
Flight Category: VFR
Altimeter: 1018.00 inHg (1018 mb)
Observed: Oct 13 20:56 UTC
Raw METAR: 
METAR KSFO 132056Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 22/02 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP179 T02170017 58009 $
About METAR: Meteorological Aerodrome Reports (METAR) provide current weather observations from airports, including temperature, wind, visibility, clouds, and atmospheric pressure. Updated hourly by NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Flight Categories: VFR (Good), MVFR (Marginal), IFR (Instrument Flight Rules), LIFR (Low Instrument Flight Rules).
Route Segment Analysis

The route has been divided into segments of approximately 500km each for detailed analysis.

Route Map With GTG Forecast Overlay
Data Sources & Our Approach
ZeroTurb's Custom Algorithm: Unlike generic turbulence forecasts, we've developed a proprietary ZeroTurb Index (ZTI) algorithm that combines three meteorological indices weighted by their predictive accuracy. This gives you transparent, passenger-focused turbulence probability (0.0-1.0 scale) instead of vague categories. Our approach processes raw ECMWF atmospheric data through custom calculations to detect Clear-Air Turbulence (CAT), wind shear zones, and frontal boundaries that cause bumpy rides.

This forecast integrates data from:

Disclaimer: This forecast is for informational purposes only. Always consult official aviation weather sources and follow ATC guidance.

How accurate are turbulence alerts? Alerts are based on updated forecast models and pilot reports, and can change as departure approaches.

Flight Insights & Recommendations

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