flight turbulence forecast

LX1842 turbulence forecast

SWISS · Zurich (ZRH) to Athens (ATH)

Next departure at its usual time · Sat 7 Nov, 21:05 Zurich time

This date's schedule isn't confirmed yet. This is the air LX1842 flies through if it leaves at its usual time.

Bumpiest stretchModerate

Smooth or light most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps mid-flight. The belt sign will likely come on.

ZRH21:05Zurich
2h 35m
ATH00:40Athens
Model run 6 Nov, 12:00 UTC · checked just now
ZRHATH
SmoothLightModerateSevere The planned route of LX1842, coloured stretch by stretch by its forecast.
Bumpiest stretch
Moderate
Flight time
2h 35m
Distance
1,642 km
Cruise altitude
35,000 ft
Weather models
3 blended
Model agreement
Medium
Aircraft
Airbus A320 family

Bumpiness along the flight

Takeoff on the left, landing on the right. The higher the line, the bumpier the air the forecast expects at that moment.

SmoothLightModerateSevere 1h Take off Landing

Where, and why

The flight split into stretches: how bumpy each is forecast to be, and what causes it.

ZRH · Take off0m – 10mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

The first minutes are flown through the lowest, liveliest air. Sun-warmed ground sends up thermals and wind bends around hills, so a bump or two while climbing is normal. It fades as the aircraft climbs into the smoother air above.

Cruise10m – 49mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise49m – 59mModerate

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise59m – 1h 31mLight

Jet-stream wind shear

Where fast air slides over slower air, usually at the edge of the jet stream, the boundary ripples like a flag. It's the most common kind of turbulence, and it's on the crew's charts before departure. When they meet it, they slow to a set turbulence speed and ride it out.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

Cruise1h 31m – 2h 35mSmooth

Nothing significant forecast here.

At cruise the air is thin and cold, and most of it is calm. The bumps up here come from the jet stream, a band of fast wind whose edges stir the air, or from waves set off by mountains far below. This forecast shows where those edges are.

in the app

This forecast changes. FlyBud tells you when.

A new weather model run lands every few hours. Add LX1842 in FlyBud and you get the full turbulence map along your route, a push when the forecast for your flight changes, live tracking and your flight on the lock screen.

Flight status

The latest LX1842 flight on our records, as the airline last reported it.

LX1842 · Thu 5 NovArrived · On time
Departs · ZRH
21:08
Scheduled 21:05
Arrives · ATH
00:43
Scheduled 00:40

Last update 19 h ago

Gate changes, delays and the baggage belt, pushed to your phone as they happen.

The aircraft

What LX1842 is flown with, and how it handles bumpy air.

Airbus A321 NEO

Type code
A21N
Seats on this flight
215
First flew
1987
In service since
1988
Economy seating
3-3
Engines
2
Cabin pressure equal to
8,000 ft

Bigger and heavier aircraft are moved less by the same patch of air, and every airliner is designed for much stronger turbulence than it will meet.

Airbus A320 family safety record →

The airline

SWISS

Flying since
2002
Alliance
Star Alliance
Hubs
Zurich, Geneva
Country
Switzerland

SWISS safety record →

on your lock screen

LX1842 without unlocking your phone

Gate, delay, time to landing and the next bumpy stretch, on the lock screen from boarding to the baggage belt.

The route

Zurich (ZRH) → Athens (ATH)

Distance
1,642 km
Flight time
2h 35m
Usual departure
21:05 local
Usual arrival
00:40 local

Forecast any other route →

Recent LX1842 flights

The forecast each flight carried, and how it ran.

DateAircraftForecastHow it ran
Thu 5 Nov A320 Smooth On time

What each level feels like

Smooth
Calm air. Nothing to notice beyond the hum of the engines.
Light
Gentle ripples and the odd dip. Drinks stay put, and walking to the toilet is fine.
Moderate
Clear bumps. Drinks may slosh and the belt sign comes on. Uncomfortable, but the pilots stay in full control.
Severe
Strong jolts, and loose items can move. This is rare, and it's why the belt sign exists. Crews slow down and change altitude to get out of it.

How this forecast is made

The planned route is sampled from gate to gate at the altitude the aircraft flies, through 3 independent global weather models, and corrected with turbulence reports radioed in by pilots in the last few hours. Each new model run replaces the forecast; nothing here is a guess from the airline's history.

The weather models behind this forecast mostly agree; the bumpy patches may shift a little.

Planned route · timing and conditions may change.

the live map

Watch the air along the route move

The app draws the route of LX1842 over the moving forecast: bumpy air, storms and the winds at cruise height. Scrub through the flight hour by hour.

Why turbulence isn't dangerous

Aircraft are designed for much worse.

Airliners are tested to loads well beyond anything turbulence produces. The wings are meant to flex, so seeing them move is normal.

Crews know where it is.

Your crew has forecasts like this one, live reports from other pilots and their own weather radar, and they change altitude to stay out of bumpy air.

Keep your belt on.

Almost all turbulence injuries happen to people who are standing or not buckled in. Seated with your belt on, turbulence is uncomfortable but not dangerous.

Is turbulence dangerous? The long answer →

Questions about LX1842

Will LX1842 be bumpy?

For the flight on Sat 7 Nov: Smooth or light most of the way, with occasional moderate bumps mid-flight. The belt sign will likely come on. The forecast is replaced with every new weather model run, so check back closer to departure.

What plane flies LX1842?

Recently LX1842 has been flown with: Airbus A320 family. Airlines can swap the aircraft until shortly before departure.

How long is LX1842?

About 2h 35m gate to gate from Zurich to Athens, a distance of about 1,642 km.

What time does LX1842 leave?

LX1842 usually departs Zurich at 21:05 local time and arrives in Athens at 00:40 local time. Times change; the app tracks the live schedule.

Is turbulence dangerous on LX1842?

Turbulence is uncomfortable, not dangerous to the aircraft. Airliners are certified for loads far beyond anything turbulence produces, and crews plan around the bumpy patches with the same kind of forecast as this one. Injuries are almost always to people who were standing or unbuckled, so keep your seatbelt fastened whenever you're seated.

How accurate is this turbulence forecast?

It is a forecast, so it is best within a day or so of departure and improves with every model run. The bumpy patches it finds are usually in the right place, but their timing can shift by a few minutes and the crew may change altitude to avoid them, so the ride you get is often smoother than the forecast.

flybud

Fly LX1842 knowing what's ahead

The turbulence forecast for your exact flight, live tracking, delay alerts and arrival weather. Built for people who'd rather know.

LX1842Moderate