Don’t Let Winter Woes Affect Your Flying

Understand the seasonal shift in atmospheric weather conditions and their impact.

Monday, January 12, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

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Low visibilities are a major hazard during the winter months as airfields can rapidly drop below minimums. [Credit: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Winter significantly increases jet stream wind speeds and shifts its path southward, leading to more energetic and diverse weather systems across the U.S.
Greater temperature differences in the winter atmosphere increase instability, raising the potential for severe weather and various forms of turbulence, including clear air turbulence (CAT) and mountain waves.
Key winter flying hazards include severe clear icing (often associated with warm fronts and "warm conveyor belts"), widespread IMC and precipitation from atmospheric rivers, and different types of fog (radiation and advection).
Understanding specific phenomena like fast-moving Alberta Clippers and varied precipitation types (e.g., freezing rain indicating severe clear icing) is crucial for safe winter flight operations.

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For meteorologists, one of the big indicators that marks wintertime is the enormous increase in wind speed and atmospheric momentum in the Northern Hemisphere.

At the jet stream level, winds across the U.S. during July average about 20-40 knots, but in January these speeds rise to 60-80 knots and often much higher. This significantly increases the energy available to weather systems.