George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport turbulence forecast
Houston, United States
IAH (Houston, United States) sits at 29.98°N, 95.34°W, 97 ft elevation — inland.
About IAH
Major airport serving Houston, United States.
- Climate
- Subtropical inland — hot summers, seasonal rains
What to expect on departures
Computed from IAH's geography and climate
The jet stream meanders across this latitude seasonally — IAH sees its strongest CAT exposure in December–February, when the polar jet pushes equatorward and routes intersect it more often. June-onwards departures climb into cleaner upper-level flow. Warm-season convection (June–August) drives the dominant turbulence pattern from IAH — afternoon thunderstorm cells are routed around but their wake turbulence and gust fronts can still affect arrivals and departures.
Climbout notes
Climbout is usually unremarkable — most turbulence on flights from Houston occurs at cruise rather than immediately after takeoff.
Seasonal pattern
Winter (December–February) brings the strongest jet-stream activity — that's when long-haul departures most often log clear-air turbulence at cruise. Summer (June–August) is peak thunderstorm season — convective turbulence is the dominant warm-season risk.
- Peak turbulence
- November–February (strong jet)
- Typically calmest
- May–September
Departing from IAH?
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Popular routes from IAH
IAH turbulence FAQ
Is turbulence common on flights from IAH?
George Bush Intercontinental Houston Airport is best described as a standard profile airport. The jet stream meanders across this latitude seasonally — IAH sees its strongest CAT exposure in December–February, when the polar jet pushes equatorward and routes intersect it more often.
When is turbulence worst for Houston flights?
Winter (December–February) brings the strongest jet-stream activity — that's when long-haul departures most often log clear-air turbulence at cruise. Peak turbulence window: November–February (strong jet). Typically calmest: May–September.
How accurate are Turbcast forecasts?
We combine live NOAA Aviation Weather Center data (PIREPs, SIGMETs, AIRMETs) with physics-based Ellrod and Richardson-number calculations derived from Open-Meteo pressure-level wind and temperature data. If a source is unavailable for a waypoint we show an em dash rather than invent a number.
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