Best times to fly
Best times to fly into Phoenix (PHX)
Phoenix is hot and dry, with strong daytime heating and a summer monsoon that brings dust and thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Early morning is usually the calmest time to fly in or out.
Calmest
Early morning
Bumpiest
Summer afternoons and evenings
These are the general seasonal patterns pilots rely on, and our own live observations below are confirming and sharpening them for Phoenix over time. For a specific flight, check the live forecast.
What our live data shows
Average bumpiness by local hour at Phoenix, from our own observations.
Sample size: 65 observations across 21 hours.
We just started measuring Phoenix, 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 Phoenix?
- The calmest window at Phoenix is usually early morning. Afternoons, especially in the warm season, tend to be the bumpiest.
- Why is Phoenix 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 Phoenix, and it is why summer afternoons and evenings tend to be the most active window.
- Is turbulence at Phoenix dangerous?
- No. Turbulence at Phoenix 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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