Best times to fly
Best times to fly into New York (JFK)
New York sees afternoon and evening thunderstorms in summer and gusty winds in winter. In the warm season mornings are generally smoother, and afternoons bumpier.
Calmest
Morning
Bumpiest
Summer afternoons and windy winter days
These are the general seasonal patterns pilots rely on, and our own live observations below are confirming and sharpening them for New York over time. For a specific flight, check the live forecast.
What our live data shows
Average bumpiness by local hour at New York, from our own observations.
Sample size: 65 observations across 21 hours.
We just started measuring New York, with 65 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 New York?
- The calmest window at New York is usually morning. Afternoons, especially in the warm season, tend to be the bumpiest.
- Why is New York 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 New York, and it is why summer afternoons and windy winter days tend to be the most active window.
- Is turbulence at New York dangerous?
- No. Turbulence at New York 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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