Albuquerque International Sunport to San Francisco International ABQ → SFO
777 nautical miles (894 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 286°, about 275° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 25 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:11 am PDT (13:11 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ABQ is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 8 knots; SFO is VFR, wind from the south (180°) at 8 knots. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools. Airlines fly this pair: 1,425 flights in the DOT's last twelve reported months, the route's page.
The route the straight line, the warnings crossed, restrictions, pilot reports and the airports along the way · click a mark for its words
Green, blue, red and purple airport dots are the flying conditions reported there now (VFR, marginal VFR, IFR, low IFR); grey means no report. Red areas are SIGMETs, orange areas AIRMETs, hatched red areas temporary flight restrictions. Map tiles: OpenFreeMap, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Warnings the route crosses SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area the line passes through or comes within 25 nm of
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the first 299 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 498 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 179 to 369 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 259 to 329 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Near the route, 289 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 309 to 448 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 498 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 508 to 528 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 80 nm of the route.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft; an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments. "From 60 to 180 nm out" is measured along the route from ABQ.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B38M at 14,000 ft, 20 nm south, 11:47 pm MDT (05:47 UTC): light rime icing, 6 °C. 389 nm along the route, 20 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
LAS UA /OV LAS059040/TM 0547/FL140/TP B38M/TA 06/IC LGT RIME
- Report
- a routine report filed through LAS
- Where
- 40 nm northeast (059°) of LAS
- Time
- 05:47 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Temperature
- 6 °C
- Icing
- light rime
- B737 at 19,000 ft, 31 nm south, 11:45 pm MDT (05:45 UTC): light turbulence. 409 nm along the route, 31 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
LAS UA /OV LAS050012/TM 0545/FL190/TP B737/TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through LAS
- Where
- 12 nm northeast (050°) of LAS
- Time
- 05:45 UTC
- Height
- at 19,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- light
- B737 at 14,500 ft, 49 nm south, 11:30 pm MDT (05:30 UTC): light turbulence. 419 nm along the route, 49 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
LAS UA /OV LAS155012/TM 0530/FL145/TP B737/TB LGT
- Report
- a routine report filed through LAS
- Where
- 12 nm southeast (155°) of LAS
- Time
- 05:30 UTC
- Height
- at 14,500 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- light
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 8 forecast points nearest it (ABQ, FMN, PRC, BCE, LAS, BIH, FAT, SFO). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 180° at 9 kt | −1 kt | 10 °C | 121 kt | 6 h 25 min | 6:11 am PDT (13:11 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 190° at 9 kt | −1 kt | 7 °C | 121 kt | 6 h 25 min | 6:11 am PDT (13:11 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 15 kt | +5 kt | 6 °C | 115 kt | 6 h 45 min | 6:31 am PDT (13:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 19 kt | +6 kt | 2 °C | 114 kt | 6 h 49 min | 6:35 am PDT (13:35 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | +7 kt | -2 °C | 113 kt | 6 h 53 min | 6:39 am PDT (13:39 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | +10 kt | -6 °C | 110 kt | 7 h 04 min | 6:50 am PDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | +12 kt | -10 °C | 108 kt | 7 h 12 min | 6:58 am PDT (13:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 34 kt | +14 kt | -13 °C | 106 kt | 7 h 20 min | 7:06 am PDT (14:06 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 43 kt | +21 kt | -22 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 51 min | 7:37 am PDT (14:37 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 55 kt | +32 kt | -29 °C | 88 kt | 8 h 50 min | 8:36 am PDT (15:36 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 60 kt | +36 kt | -35 °C | 84 kt | 9 h 15 min | 9:01 am PDT (16:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 51 kt | +27 kt | -44 °C | 93 kt | 8 h 21 min | 8:07 am PDT (15:07 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; a height is left out when the forecast has no wind for it over most of the line (the ground is higher). Ground speed is the airspeed less the headwind; the time en route is for the straight line and ignores climb, descent and routing around weather.
The forecast points as issued
| Point | From | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 | 12,000 | 18,000 | 24,000 | 30,000 | 34,000 | 39,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° | ||
| FMN | used from 100 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| PRC | used from 199 nm out; 105 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| BCE | used from 249 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| LAS | used from 349 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 210/21 10° | 200/18 5° | 200/23 -2° | 210/49 -14° | 210/63 -21° | 220/58 -30° | 220/61 -35° | 210/56 -44° | |
| BIH | used from 498 nm out; 64 nm from the line | L/V | 240/7 1° | 190/13 -3° | 200/26 -16° | 210/43 -26° | 220/54 -28° | 220/51 -35° | 220/47 -43° | |
| FAT | used from 648 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 130/16 | 160/20 5° | 190/28 -1° | 210/25 -5° | 220/27 -15° | 230/21 -26° | 220/42 -29° | 220/44 -35° | 220/44 -44° |
| SFO | used from 698 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 120/13 | 090/14 5° | 040/14 -1° | 350/17 -5° | 360/42 -14° | 360/64 -23° | 350/38 -32° | 300/19 -37° | 250/18 -44° |
The weather now: both ends and the airports along the way public airports with a weather report within 25 nm of the line, one for each stretch
| Airport | Where | Conditions | Wind | Visibility | Ceiling | Elevation | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | departure | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 10,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 5,354 ft | 11:52 pm MDT (05:52 UTC) |
| GNT Grants, NM | 60 nm out, 10 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,536 ft | 06:35 UTC |
| GUP Gallup, NM | 110 nm out, 2 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,472 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| GCN Grand Canyon, AZ | 279 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 600 feet, a broken layer at 3,800 feet, overcast at 4,700 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 3,800 ft | 6,608 ft | 06:05 UTC |
| BTY Beatty, NV | 508 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,169 ft | ||||
| BIH Bishop, CA | 588 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | VFR | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,124 ft | 05:56 UTC |
| MER Atwater, CA | 688 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 190 ft | 23:55 UTC |
| MOD Modesto, CA | 707 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 9,000 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 9,000 ft | 99 ft | 05:53 UTC |
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 feet | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 13 ft | 10:56 pm PDT (05:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,608 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:11 am PDT (13:11 UTC)
Wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SFO
- From Sun 11:00 pm PDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 3:00 pm PDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the west at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm PDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the west at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ABQ, the departure
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 14 knots, gusting to 24, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 6,000 feet, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm MDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 6 nm from the route, 419 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 9 nm from the route, 648 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 10 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at ABQ 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SFO is before sunrise there (7:14 am PDT (14:14 UTC)).
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (closed runways, lights out) are not shown: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time.
Radar and forecast charts for the regions crossed government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft, observations and terminal forecasts), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes, and the FAA's airport file for the positions, elevations and magnetic variation. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Each leg is the straight line between its two airports; airways, terrain and airspace are not considered. The airports in detail: Albuquerque International Sunport, San Francisco International.