Route turbulence forecast
San Francisco → Las Vegas
Turbulence forecast for flights from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to McCarran International Airport (LAS).
Check flights on this route
Get a segment-by-segment turbulence forecast for any scheduled flight from SFO to LAS, with live wind and pilot reports.
Live status with real-time delays and cancellations.
What to expect on this route
Eastbound (generally tailwind-assisted) · Great-circle bearing 103°
This is a short or low-latitude sector, so clear-air turbulence from upper-level jets is rare. The route crosses or passes near the Rocky Mountains, which can generate mountain-wave turbulence downwind when upper-level winds are strong.
- Mountain crossings
- Rocky Mountains
- Ocean / water segments
- North Pacific
Seasonal turbulence pattern
This corridor is most turbulent in the northern winter (Nov–Mar), when the jet stream is strongest and sits closer to the route. Wind flowing over the Rocky Mountains can generate mountain-wave turbulence that extends hundreds of kilometres downwind — most pronounced in the northern winter (Nov–Mar), when upper-level winds are strongest.
- Peak turbulence
- November–March (Northern Hemisphere winter)
- Typically calmest
- Late spring to early autumn (May–September)
SFO → LAS turbulence FAQ
Is the San Francisco to Las Vegas flight usually bumpy?
Most of the 665 km route sits in the mid latitude band with minimal jet-stream exposure. Historically that means most flights cruise in smooth air, with turbulence limited to short sectors near weather systems. Mountain-wave effects near the Rocky Mountains add short bumpy stretches when upper-level winds are strong.
When is the best time to fly SFO to LAS for a smooth flight?
Statistically, Late spring to early autumn (May–September) sees the calmest conditions for this corridor. Within any season, morning departures see less convective (thunderstorm-driven) turbulence than afternoon flights.
How long is the flight from SFO to LAS?
Block time is usually around 1h 21m direct, cruising at approximately FL340 (34,000 ft). Actual duration varies with winds — tailwinds can shave 15–30 minutes, headwinds can add 30+ minutes on this eastbound sector.
How accurate is Turbcast's forecast for this route?
We use live NOAA Aviation Weather Center pilot reports (PIREPs), SIGMETs and AIRMETs, layered with physics-based Ellrod and Richardson-number calculations 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 value.
Related routes
Articles
More on San Francisco ↔ Las Vegas
Articles that unpack the factors driving turbulence on this type of route.
When Is Flight Turbulence Worst? A Month-by-Month Global Guide
Winter over the Atlantic, monsoon over Asia, summer over the US — turbulence has a calendar. Here's the month-by-month pattern for every major flight corridor, and the best months to book a smoother flight.
Read moreClear Air Turbulence (CAT): Why Planes Shake in Clear Skies
Understanding Clear Air Turbulence - what causes it, where it occurs, and why it's the hardest type of turbulence to predict. Essential reading for frequent flyers.
Read moreWill Turbulence Crash a Plane? What the Aviation Safety Data Actually Shows
Short answer: almost certainly not. Here's the full engineering, historical, and statistical picture of how modern aircraft handle turbulence — including what the Singapore Airlines SQ321 incident really tells us.
Read more