Aberdeen Regional to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport ABR → MSP
223 nautical miles (256 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 097°, about 090° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 51-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:33 am CDT (07:33 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now ABR is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots; MSP is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 5 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: 1,496 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 116 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 ABR.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
Not fetched just now.
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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 3 forecast points nearest it (ABR, AXN, MSP). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 190° at 7 kt | −1 kt | 121 kt | 1 h 51 min | 3:06 am CDT (08:06 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −15 kt | 135 kt | 1 h 39 min | 2:54 am CDT (07:54 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | −18 kt | 14 °C | 138 kt | 1 h 37 min | 2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | −19 kt | 11 °C | 139 kt | 1 h 36 min | 2:51 am CDT (07:51 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 26 kt | −22 kt | 6 °C | 142 kt | 1 h 34 min | 2:49 am CDT (07:49 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 29 kt | −26 kt | 1 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 32 min | 2:47 am CDT (07:47 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 32 kt | −29 kt | -4 °C | 149 kt | 1 h 30 min | 2:45 am CDT (07:45 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 35 kt | −32 kt | -9 °C | 152 kt | 1 h 28 min | 2:43 am CDT (07:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 36 kt | −33 kt | -10 °C | 153 kt | 1 h 27 min | 2:42 am CDT (07:42 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 39 kt | −37 kt | -21 °C | 157 kt | 1 h 25 min | 2:40 am CDT (07:40 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 39 kt | −36 kt | -36 °C | 156 kt | 1 h 26 min | 2:41 am CDT (07:41 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 47 kt | −43 kt | -44 °C | 163 kt | 1 h 22 min | 2:37 am CDT (07:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 54 kt | −51 kt | -50 °C | 171 kt | 1 h 18 min | 2:33 am CDT (07:33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABR | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 070/14 | 250/10 17° | 270/16 11° | 260/28 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/41 -22° | 270/33 -37° | 260/42 -42° | 260/50 -48° |
| AXN | used from 48 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 100/14 | 250/21 14° | 240/24 12° | 240/31 5° | 260/36 -10° | 260/40 -21° | 250/42 -36° | 260/48 -45° | 260/53 -50° |
| MSP | used from 145 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABR Aberdeen, SD | departure | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots | 9 mi | 500 ft | 1,301 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
| VVV Ortonville, MN | 87 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | from the north (350°) at 8 knots | 3 mi | 200 ft | 1,101 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| AQP Appleton, MN | 107 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet | from the northwest (320°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 500 ft | 1,021 ft | 05:54 UTC |
| LJF Litchfield, MN | 165 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | reported, no category | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,139 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| CFE Buffalo, MN | 194 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 2,300 feet, a broken layer at 3,600 feet, a broken layer at 4,300 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 3,600 ft | 967 ft | 05:55 UTC |
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | destination | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 841 ft | 12:53 am CDT (05:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,301 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:33 am CDT (07:33 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MSP
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
The forecast for ABR, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 400 feet
- At times between Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC) and 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, mist, overcast at 400 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 1,100 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,100 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, 213 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at ABR 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC), at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm CDT (00:03 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSP is before sunrise there (7:24 am CDT (12:24 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: Aberdeen Regional, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.