If you're a nervous flier, you may want to avoid this notoriously bumpy flight route. Here's why "mountain waves" make the journey so turbulent.

The Rocky Mountains are known for their complex terrain, and crossing above them leads to mountain wave turbulence, where the airflow is disrupted by that very terrain. These waves can lead to ...

Hard-to-detect rough air can include mountain wave turbulence, which is caused by the specific way air flows and behaves around mountains. A sudden change in the direction or intensity of the wind ...

The route crosses the Rockies westward, where mountain wave turbulence is especially fierce, and strong winds sweeping over the peaks generate powerful air currents that can jolt aircraft throughout ...