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 weather is characterized by a more energetic atmosphere with increased jet stream speeds, a southward shift, and greater temperature differences, leading to frequent and intense weather systems.
Key flight hazards in winter include increased turbulence (clear air and mountain waves), severe icing (especially clear ice), and reduced visibility from radiation and advection fogs.
Large-scale winter phenomena like Atmospheric Rivers and Alberta Clippers present significant challenges, bringing extensive precipitation, icing, and turbulence.
Pilots must understand various winter precipitation types (snow, ice pellets, freezing rain) as indicators of specific atmospheric conditions and associated severe icing risks.

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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.