Best times to fly
Best times to fly into Atlanta (ATL)
Atlanta's humid subtropical climate produces pop up afternoon thunderstorms through the warm season. The smoothest air is usually in the morning.
Calmest
Morning
Bumpiest
Summer afternoons
These are the general seasonal patterns pilots rely on, and our own live observations below are confirming and sharpening them for Atlanta over time. For a specific flight, check the live forecast.
What our live data shows
Average bumpiness by local hour at Atlanta, from our own observations.
Sample size: 64 observations across 22 hours.
We just started measuring Atlanta, with 64 observations so far. This picture fills in and gets more reliable every day as we collect more.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best time of day to fly into Atlanta?
- The calmest window at Atlanta is usually morning. Afternoons, especially in the warm season, tend to be the bumpiest.
- Why is Atlanta bumpier in the afternoon?
- As the sun heats the ground through the day, rising air columns and, in the warm months, thunderstorms stir up the lower atmosphere. That is what pilots and passengers feel as bumps around Atlanta, and it is why summer afternoons tend to be the most active window.
- Is turbulence at Atlanta dangerous?
- No. Turbulence at Atlanta is routine and expected. Modern airliners are engineered for far more than they ever encounter, and the crew works to find the smoothest ride. Bumps like these are a routine part of flying that pilots handle every day, and the aircraft is built to handle far more.
Want the full picture? Read our guide: Is turbulence dangerous?
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