Yes, Turbulence Is Getting Worse-Here's What You Should Know

"There are a few unpleasant, unavoidable things frequent fliers grow accustomed to-travel delays, long security lines, expensive airport snacks, and the occasional bout of turbulence, among them. The latter can be particularly alarming, especially for those travelers who don't understand exactly what turbulence is and why it happens. To answer all your questions (and reassure you the next time your flight feels a bit bumpy), we spoke with Bill Duncan, the associate director of meteorology at The Weather Company."

""Essentially, turbulence is unstable movement in the atmosphere. It's typically caused by upper-level fronts and wind shears (like those near the jet stream), thunderstorms and clouds, or air flowing over mountains," explains Duncan. "When air currents encounter geographical features, they form waves that can break and create a cascade of wind eddies, leading to turbulence." So don't be alarmed if your plane experiences a bit of turbulence on a day when there's no thunderstorm in the forecast."

Turbulence is unstable movement in the atmosphere caused by upper-level fronts, wind shear near the jet stream, thunderstorms and clouds, or air flowing over mountains. Air currents that encounter geographical features form waves that can break and create cascades of wind eddies, producing turbulence. Turbulence can occur from ground level to above cruising altitude and can affect any route, though frequency varies by location. Clear air turbulence (CAT) is sudden severe turbulence in cloudless regions that causes violent buffeting of aircraft and excludes turbulence caused by thunderstorms, low-altitude temperature inversions, and thermals. Passengers should remain seated with seatbelts fastened when advised.

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