Chicago to San Francisco - how much turbulence?

[eingramz]

Hi,

I am flying from Chicago to San Francisco and have heard there is "always" turbulence going over the mountains and that it can last 30 minutes or longer. Is this true? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[B744drvr]

Well, not always, but frequent over the Rockies there can be some bumps. Duration is hard to predict, every day is different.
If you really want to avoid the Rockies, I suggest flying via Calgary or some other northern city, but that ofcourse is no guarantee it will be a smooth(er) flight.