Stable air
Air whose layering stops warm air from rising far.
What it means
It sounds reassuring but is poor news for thermal flying, because thermals are weak or absent. Stability describes the layering of the whole atmosphere; an inversion is one particular stable layer.
Example in context
It was a beautiful morning, but the air was stable and all we got all day were sled rides.
Sources and review
- NWS Glossary: Stable Air (opens in a new tab)
- FAA Glider Flying Handbook, Chapter 9 (Soaring Weather) (opens in a new tab)
- Jakub Vrána — Paraglidingový slang: o termice (opens in a new tab)
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