US
AIRPORT
SFO
WORLD RANK
#34

San Francisco

San Francisco International Airport

KSFO
1,093
Flights/Day
04:22
Local Time
Los Angeles
Timezone
13ft
Elevation
Flying from San Francisco?

Get turbulence forecasts for your upcoming flight

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Current Weather
Current Conditions
KSFO
MVFR
13°C
Mostly Cloudy • 5kt • 1019.40"
Observed: 11:56 UTC
MVFR — Marginal Visual: Reduced visibility, minor delays possible.
Cloud Forecast
12k 8k 4k 0
04:00
1.4k
11:00
CLR
14:00
CLR
22:00
25k
Few (1-2 oktas) Scattered (3-4) Broken (5-7) Overcast (8) | CLR = Clear 25k = 25,000 ft ceiling
FM = From (abrupt change) BECMG = Becoming (gradual) TEMPO = Temporary PROB = Probability %
TAF valid until 10:00 local time
About San Francisco International Airport

San Francisco's famous fog causes low-visibility delays but not turbulence. Strong onshore winds can make afternoon approaches bumpy.

Is San Francisco Airport turbulent?

SFO is notorious for fog delays rather than turbulence. The famous marine layer rolls in from the Pacific, reducing visibility and cutting landing capacity in half. SFO consistently ranks among America's most delayed airports because runway spacing from the 1940s cannot handle modern traffic volumes when fog forces single-runway operations.

  • SFO was 3rd most-delayed US airport in 2018 with 26% of arrivals delayed
  • Fog can cut landing capacity from 60 to 30 planes per hour
  • Runways built in 1940s are too close for simultaneous fog landings
Why does fog affect SFO so badly?

When visibility drops, aircraft cannot land side-by-side on SFO's closely-spaced runways. Capacity immediately halves. The FAA holds departures at origin airports rather than circling planes over the Bay. A persistent high-pressure ridge often traps fog in place for days. Morning fog typically lifts by midday, but delays cascade through the entire day.

When is the smoothest time to fly from SFO?

September and October typically offer the clearest conditions. Summer fog (June Gloom) is heaviest from June through August. Winter storms occasionally cause delays but are less persistent than fog. Afternoon flights are generally more reliable than morning departures during fog season.

Is turbulence at San Francisco dangerous?

No. Modern aircraft are designed to withstand forces far stronger than turbulence. While bumps can feel uncomfortable, they do not pose a safety risk. Pilots actively avoid rough air whenever possible. Learn more about turbulence

Best seats to reduce turbulence when flying from San Francisco?

Seats near the wings feel the least movement because they are closest to the aircraft's center of gravity. Seats at the back of the aircraft feel turbulence more strongly. Learn more about seat selection

Upcoming Flights (next 2 hours) 74
Flight Destination Departure Aircraft Forecast
WN2869
Southwest Airlines
PHX 04:30 Local boeing 737 max 8 Forecast
WN3195
Southwest Airlines
LAS 04:30 Local boeing 737 max 8 Forecast
DL772
Delta Air Lines
DTW 04:45 Local boeing 737-932(er) Forecast
WN1228
Southwest Airlines
DEN 04:50 Local boeing 737-8h4 Forecast
8C3321
Ati
CVG 04:55 Local -- Forecast
DL1598
Delta Air Lines
LAX 04:55 Local boeing 737-832 Forecast
UA5690
United Express
LAX 05:00 Local embraer e175ll Forecast
AA2614
American Airlines
ORD 05:00 Local boeing 737-823 Forecast
WN2133
Southwest Airlines
LAS 05:00 Local -- Forecast
UA315
United Airlines
IAH 05:00 Local -- Forecast
UA1746
United Airlines
IAH 05:00 Local boeing 737-924(er) Forecast
UA2420
United Airlines
DEN 05:00 Local boeing 737-924(er) Forecast
AA2114
American Airlines
PHX 05:00 Local boeing 737-823 Forecast
DL570
Delta Air Lines
ATL 05:00 Local boeing 737-932(er) Forecast
WN1228
Southwest Airlines
DEN 05:00 Local -- Forecast
DL1331
Delta Air Lines
SLC 05:00 Local boeing 737-832 Forecast
DL2721
Delta Air Lines
SEA 05:00 Local airbus a220-300 Forecast
WN4021
Southwest Airlines
PHX 05:05 Local -- Forecast
WN2477
Southwest Airlines
DEN 05:05 Local boeing 737 max 8 Forecast
1I619
Netjets Aviation
AUS 05:06 Local -- Forecast
DL2178
Delta Air Lines
MSP 05:10 Local boeing 737-932(er) Forecast
WN957
Southwest Airlines
SAN 05:10 Local boeing 737-7h4 Forecast
UA2420
United Airlines
DEN 05:10 Local -- Forecast
F91230
Frontier (Trixie The Fox Livery)
DEN 05:15 Local airbus a320-251n Forecast
UA1687
United Airlines
IAH 05:15 Local b739 Forecast
UA1233
United Airlines
DEN 05:25 Local airbus a321-271nx Forecast
WN2869
Southwest Airlines
PHX 05:30 Local boeing 737 max 8 Forecast
WN3195
Southwest Airlines
LAS 05:30 Local -- Forecast
DL772
Delta Air Lines
DTW 05:45 Local boeing 737-932(er) Forecast
BR629
Eva Air
TPE 05:45 Local boeing 777-f Forecast
UA2091
United Airlines
ORD 05:45 Local airbus a321-271nx Forecast
WN1228
Southwest Airlines
DEN 05:50 Local boeing 737-8h4 Forecast
DL1598
Delta Air Lines
LAX 05:55 Local boeing 737-832 Forecast
DL2721
Delta Air Lines
SEA 05:55 Local -- Forecast
DL1331
Delta Air Lines
SLC 05:55 Local -- Forecast
AS1308
Alaska Airlines
SAN 06:00 Local boeing 737-890 Forecast
DL570
Delta Air Lines
ATL 06:00 Local boeing 737-932(er) Forecast
AA2614
American Airlines
ORD 06:00 Local boeing 737-823 Forecast
DL2721
Delta Air Lines
SEA 06:00 Local airbus a220-300 Forecast
DL1598
Delta Air Lines
LAX 06:00 Local -- Forecast
UA5690
United Express
LAX 06:00 Local embraer e175lr Forecast
AA2114
American Airlines
PHX 06:00 Local boeing 737-823 Forecast
AS68
Alaska Airlines
SEA 06:00 Local boeing 737 max 9 Forecast
B6816
Jetblue
JFK 06:00 Local airbus a321-231 Forecast
AS3318
Alaska Skywest
LAX 06:00 Local -- Forecast
DL405
Delta Air Lines
JFK 06:00 Local boeing 767-332(er) Forecast
F91230
Frontier (Rivero The Puerto Rican Toad Livery)
DEN 06:00 Local airbus a320-251n Forecast
AS416
Alaska Airlines
SEA 06:00 Local boeing 737 max 9 Forecast
AS292
Alaska Airlines
EWR 06:00 Local boeing 737-990(er) Forecast
AS789
Alaska Airlines
KOA 06:00 Local boeing 737-990(er) Forecast
AA402
American Airlines
DFW 06:00 Local -- Forecast
AA2211
American Airlines
LAX 06:00 Local boeing 737-823 Forecast
DL1331
Delta Air Lines
SLC 06:00 Local boeing 737-832 Forecast
UA1107
United Airlines
AUS 06:00 Local airbus a319-132 Forecast
UA1149
United Airlines
EWR 06:00 Local boeing 777-222(er) Forecast
UA1712
United Airlines
SAN 06:00 Local boeing 737 max 8 Forecast
AS3450
Alaska Skywest
SNA 06:00 Local embraer e175lr Forecast
HA941
Hawaiian Airlines
OGG 06:00 Local airbus a321-271n Forecast
WN2477
Southwest Airlines
DEN 06:05 Local -- Forecast
DL570
Delta Air Lines
ATL 06:05 Local -- Forecast
DL2178
Delta Air Lines
MSP 06:05 Local -- Forecast
DL2178
Delta Air Lines
MSP 06:10 Local boeing 737-932(er) Forecast
DL400
Delta Air Lines
BOS 06:10 Local airbus a321-271nx Forecast
WN957
Southwest Airlines
SAN 06:10 Local b737 Forecast
AA234
American Airlines
JFK 06:15 Local -- Forecast
F91230
Frontier (Rivero The Puerto Rican Toad Livery)
DEN 06:15 Local airbus a321-211 Forecast
AS790
Alaska Airlines
LIH 06:16 Local boeing 737-890 Forecast
LXJ537
Flexjet
TEB 06:17 Local -- Forecast
UA1311
United Airlines
IAH 06:18 Local boeing 737-924(er) Forecast
UA5937
United Express
SNA 06:20 Local embraer e175lr Forecast
UA1892
United Airlines
MSY 06:20 Local boeing 737 max 9 Forecast
AA2211
American Airlines
LAX 06:20 Local -- Forecast
LXJ483
Flexjet
JAC 06:20 Local -- Forecast
AA2506
American Airlines
PHL 06:21 Local -- Forecast
04:30
Local
SFO PHX
WN WN2869
boeing 737 max 8
04:30
Local
SFO LAS
WN WN3195
boeing 737 max 8
04:45
Local
SFO DTW
DL DL772
boeing 737-932(er)
04:50
Local
SFO DEN
WN WN1228
boeing 737-8h4
04:55
Local
SFO CVG
8C3321
04:55
Local
SFO LAX
DL DL1598
boeing 737-832
05:00
Local
SFO LAX
UA UA5690
embraer e175ll
05:00
Local
SFO ORD
AA AA2614
boeing 737-823
05:00
Local
SFO LAS
WN WN2133
05:00
Local
SFO IAH
UA UA315
05:00
Local
SFO IAH
UA UA1746
boeing 737-924(er)
05:00
Local
SFO DEN
UA UA2420
boeing 737-924(er)
05:00
Local
SFO PHX
AA AA2114
boeing 737-823
05:00
Local
SFO ATL
DL DL570
boeing 737-932(er)
05:00
Local
SFO DEN
WN WN1228
05:00
Local
SFO SLC
DL DL1331
boeing 737-832
05:00
Local
SFO SEA
DL DL2721
airbus a220-300
05:05
Local
SFO PHX
WN WN4021
05:05
Local
SFO DEN
WN WN2477
boeing 737 max 8
05:06
Local
SFO AUS
1I619
05:10
Local
SFO MSP
DL DL2178
boeing 737-932(er)
05:10
Local
SFO SAN
WN WN957
boeing 737-7h4
05:10
Local
SFO DEN
UA UA2420
05:15
Local
SFO DEN
F9 F91230
airbus a320-251n
05:15
Local
SFO IAH
UA UA1687
05:25
Local
SFO DEN
UA UA1233
airbus a321-271nx
05:30
Local
SFO PHX
WN WN2869
boeing 737 max 8
05:30
Local
SFO LAS
WN WN3195
05:45
Local
SFO DTW
DL DL772
boeing 737-932(er)
05:45
Local
SFO TPE
BR BR629
boeing 777-f
05:45
Local
SFO ORD
UA UA2091
airbus a321-271nx
05:50
Local
SFO DEN
WN WN1228
boeing 737-8h4
05:55
Local
SFO LAX
DL DL1598
boeing 737-832
05:55
Local
SFO SEA
DL DL2721
05:55
Local
SFO SLC
DL DL1331
06:00
Local
SFO SAN
AS AS1308
boeing 737-890
06:00
Local
SFO ATL
DL DL570
boeing 737-932(er)
06:00
Local
SFO ORD
AA AA2614
boeing 737-823
06:00
Local
SFO SEA
DL DL2721
airbus a220-300
06:00
Local
SFO LAX
DL DL1598
06:00
Local
SFO LAX
UA UA5690
embraer e175lr
06:00
Local
SFO PHX
AA AA2114
boeing 737-823
06:00
Local
SFO SEA
AS AS68
boeing 737 max 9
06:00
Local
SFO JFK
B6 B6816
airbus a321-231
06:00
Local
SFO LAX
AS AS3318
06:00
Local
SFO JFK
DL DL405
boeing 767-332(er)
06:00
Local
SFO DEN
F9 F91230
airbus a320-251n
06:00
Local
SFO SEA
AS AS416
boeing 737 max 9
06:00
Local
SFO EWR
AS AS292
boeing 737-990(er)
06:00
Local
SFO KOA
AS AS789
boeing 737-990(er)
06:00
Local
SFO DFW
AA AA402
06:00
Local
SFO LAX
AA AA2211
boeing 737-823
06:00
Local
SFO SLC
DL DL1331
boeing 737-832
06:00
Local
SFO AUS
UA UA1107
airbus a319-132
06:00
Local
SFO EWR
UA UA1149
boeing 777-222(er)
06:00
Local
SFO SAN
UA UA1712
boeing 737 max 8
06:00
Local
SFO SNA
AS AS3450
embraer e175lr
06:00
Local
SFO OGG
HA HA941
airbus a321-271n
06:05
Local
SFO DEN
WN WN2477
06:05
Local
SFO ATL
DL DL570
06:05
Local
SFO MSP
DL DL2178
06:10
Local
SFO MSP
DL DL2178
boeing 737-932(er)
06:10
Local
SFO BOS
DL DL400
airbus a321-271nx
06:10
Local
SFO SAN
WN WN957
06:15
Local
SFO JFK
AA AA234
06:15
Local
SFO DEN
F91230
airbus a321-211
06:16
Local
SFO LIH
AS AS790
boeing 737-890
06:17
Local
SFO TEB
LXJ537
06:18
Local
SFO IAH
UA UA1311
boeing 737-924(er)
06:20
Local
SFO SNA
UA UA5937
embraer e175lr
06:20
Local
SFO MSY
UA UA1892
boeing 737 max 9
06:20
Local
SFO LAX
AA AA2211
06:20
Local
SFO JAC
LXJ483
06:21
Local
SFO PHL
AA AA2506
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