Map Help

When I forecast turbulence, I start with our world map, which provides an easy-to-read overview of turbulence intensity and location. If I need a longer-term outlook, I use our brand-new navigator map, which forecasts turbulence up to five days in advance with verifiable accuracy through our drift tracker.

Understanding the Map Symbols

These maps provide detailed turbulence forecasts for may regions of the world:

• Dashed light gray regions – Indicate possible moderate turbulence.
• Dashed darker gray regions – Indicate possible severe turbulence.
• Legend numbers – Represent altitude ranges (in hundreds of feet).
• Single hat symbol () – Denotes moderate turbulence.
• Double hat symbol () – Denotes severe turbulence.
• Red areas – Highlight potential storms, which may also bring turbulence.
• Black arrows – Indicate the jet stream, which influences turbulence and flight routes.

There are four maps available at any time for some maps, each valid for approximately six hours, based on UTC/GMT.

Additional Tools for Forecasting

• FlightAware – Helps analyze real-time flight paths.

For U.S. Flights

For domestic flights, I rely on some additional data:

• Pilot Reports of Turbulence – Unfortunately, these are only available in the U.S.
• Turbulence Advisories – Provide official turbulence warnings.

By combining all this data, I create a solid estimate of what turbulence conditions a flight may experience.