Waterloo Regional to Grand Forks International ALO → GFK
381 nautical miles (439 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 330°, about 330° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 12 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot headwind), arriving about 8:14 am CDT (13:14 UTC). 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: 2 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: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the first 108 nm of the route.
- 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 last 166 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 ALO.
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 08:00–15:00 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 4 forecast points nearest it (MCW, MSP, AXN, GFK). 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 | 250° at 10 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 3 h 12 min | 8:14 am CDT (13:14 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 15 kt | +3 kt | 15 °C | 117 kt | 3 h 15 min | 8:17 am CDT (13:17 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +2 kt | 12 °C | 118 kt | 3 h 14 min | 8:16 am CDT (13:16 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 27 kt | +4 kt | 7 °C | 116 kt | 3 h 17 min | 8:19 am CDT (13:19 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 31 kt | +7 kt | 4 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 22 min | 8:24 am CDT (13:24 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 31 kt | +10 kt | -1 °C | 110 kt | 3 h 28 min | 8:30 am CDT (13:30 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 31 kt | +13 kt | -6 °C | 107 kt | 3 h 34 min | 8:36 am CDT (13:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 31 kt | +15 kt | -10 °C | 105 kt | 3 h 38 min | 8:40 am CDT (13:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 34 kt | +14 kt | -22 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 36 min | 8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 33 kt | +14 kt | -37 °C | 106 kt | 3 h 36 min | 8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 50 kt | +28 kt | -41 °C | 92 kt | 4 h 08 min | 9:10 am CDT (14:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 280° at 62 kt | +37 kt | -48 °C | 83 kt | 4 h 35 min | 9:37 am CDT (14:37 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCW | used from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 250/36 | 250/24 19° | 240/26 11° | 250/30 5° | 270/22 -9° | 260/30 -21° | 260/31 -36° | 280/53 -38° | 280/66 -48° |
| MSP | used from 98 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| AXN | used from 195 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 110/6 | 260/10 16° | 240/17 12° | 250/20 5° | 260/29 -10° | 260/35 -22° | 260/29 -38° | 270/48 -41° | 270/61 -48° |
| GFK | used from 293 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 080/18 | L/V 11° | 260/22 7° | 250/48 3° | 260/51 -11° | 250/44 -22° | 260/34 -38° | 260/53 -44° | 270/66 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALO Waterloo, IA | departure | no report just now | 873 ft | ||||
| CCY Charles City, IA | 29 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,125 ft | ||||
| AEL Albert Lea, MN | 78 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,261 ft | ||||
| ACQ Waseca, MN | 108 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,126 ft | ||||
| HCD Hutchinson, MN | 166 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,062 ft | ||||
| LJF Litchfield, MN | 176 nm out, 2 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,139 ft | ||||
| AXN Alexandria, MN | 235 nm out, 7 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,425 ft | ||||
| DTL Detroit Lakes, MN | 293 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,395 ft | ||||
| FAR Fargo, ND | 323 nm out, 22 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 901 ft | ||||
| CKN Crookston, MN | 362 nm out, 15 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 896 ft | ||||
| GFK Grand Forks, ND | destination | no report just now | 845 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,425 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At GFK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:14 am CDT (13:14 UTC)
GFK has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/4348 GRAND FORKS AFB, ND, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at ALO 6:32 pm CDT (23:32 UTC), at GFK 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm CDT (00:17 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: Waterloo Regional, Grand Forks International.