Appleton International to Seattle-Tacoma International ATW → SEA
1,415 nautical miles (1,628 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 290°, about 292° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 6-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:18 pm PDT (19:18 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: 1 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 3W: 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 100 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 route from 319 to 1146 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, 687 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 867 to 1166 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the route from 1026 to 1385 nm out.
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 ATW.
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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (GRB, LSE, MSP, AXN, ABR, DIK, MLS, GGW, BIL, GTF, GPI, GEG, YKM, SEA). 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 | 150° at 7 kt | −6 kt | 1 °C | 126 kt | 11 h 14 min | 12:18 pm PDT (19:18 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 170° at 6 kt | −3 kt | 7 °C | 123 kt | 11 h 30 min | 12:34 pm PDT (19:34 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 8 kt | 0 | 4 °C | 120 kt | 11 h 48 min | 12:52 pm PDT (19:52 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 12 kt | +4 kt | 0 °C | 116 kt | 12 h 12 min | 1:16 pm PDT (20:16 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 16 kt | +8 kt | -2 °C | 112 kt | 12 h 38 min | 1:42 pm PDT (20:42 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 18 kt | +11 kt | -6 °C | 109 kt | 12 h 59 min | 2:03 pm PDT (21:03 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +15 kt | -10 °C | 105 kt | 13 h 29 min | 2:33 pm PDT (21:33 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 23 kt | +17 kt | -13 °C | 103 kt | 13 h 44 min | 2:48 pm PDT (21:48 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 25 kt | +17 kt | -23 °C | 103 kt | 13 h 44 min | 2:48 pm PDT (21:48 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 28 kt | +20 kt | -37 °C | 100 kt | 14 h 09 min | 3:13 pm PDT (22:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 37 kt | +31 kt | -42 °C | 89 kt | 15 h 54 min | 4:58 pm PDT (23:58 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 49 kt | +43 kt | -47 °C | 77 kt | 18 h 23 min | 7:27 pm PDT (02:27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRB | used from 0 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 250/36 | 270/23 16° | 270/14 9° | 240/18 4° | 280/26 -9° | 280/29 -20° | 290/42 -36° | 290/51 -45° | 290/72 -55° |
| LSE | used from 50 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 230/40 | 240/24 17° | 240/13 10° | 250/13 6° | 280/22 -9° | 250/28 -21° | 250/41 -34° | 260/42 -44° | 270/62 -53° |
| MSP | used from 149 nm out; 39 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° |
| AXN | used from 249 nm out; 33 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° |
| ABR | used from 399 nm out; 50 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° |
| DIK | used from 498 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 150/24 7° | 200/38 6° | 220/53 0° | 230/51 -9° | 230/49 -21° | 240/37 -37° | 240/47 -44° | 250/65 -48° | |
| MLS | used from 697 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 150/23 2° | 190/29 4° | 210/44 2° | 220/32 -10° | 210/36 -21° | 200/48 -37° | 230/63 -40° | 240/71 -47° | |
| GGW | used from 797 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 110/23 0° | 130/20 -2° | 170/24 -3° | 230/44 -11° | 220/51 -21° | 210/52 -39° | 220/64 -44° | 240/85 -48° | |
| BIL | used from 847 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 080/13 | 180/9 -2° | 210/38 0° | 220/51 -11° | 210/46 -22° | 210/58 -35° | 230/73 -39° | 230/72 -45° | |
| GTF | used from 897 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 070/11 | 080/15 -7° | 110/19 -9° | 190/25 -14° | 200/34 -23° | 200/54 -39° | 220/66 -40° | 220/77 -44° | |
| GPI | used from 1046 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 070/19 -5° | 100/16 -7° | 080/10 -8° | 130/8 -19° | 170/37 -28° | 200/50 -40° | 210/43 -40° | 220/41 -42° | |
| GEG | used from 1146 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 080/16 -2° | 050/17 -7° | 080/9 -10° | 190/33 -21° | 180/31 -32° | L/V -35° | L/V -37° | 270/8 -40° | |
| YKM | used from 1295 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 070/10 | 040/15 -1° | 020/27 -8° | 030/25 -13° | 020/48 -20° | 010/83 -27° | 010/77 -37° | 010/49 -40° | 350/14 -41° |
| SEA | used from 1345 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 050/7 | 050/11 1° | 050/12 -5° | 030/31 -7° | 010/61 -15° | 010/69 -26° | 360/73 -40° | 360/62 -47° | 330/21 -43° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATW Appleton, WI | departure | no report just now | 918 ft | ||||
| EAU Eau Claire, WI | 130 nm out, 7 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 913 ft | ||||
| STC St Cloud, MN | 249 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,030 ft | ||||
| AXN Alexandria, MN | 309 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 1,425 ft | ||||
| BIS Bismarck, ND | 538 nm out, 8 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,661 ft | ||||
| GDV Glendive, MT | 707 nm out, 5 nm east of the line | no report just now | 2,458 ft | ||||
| JDN Jordan, MT | 787 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,667 ft | ||||
| GTF Great Falls, MT | 966 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 3,680 ft | ||||
| THM Thompson Falls, MT | 1126 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 2,467 ft | ||||
| GEG Spokane, WA | 1225 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,385 ft | ||||
| MWH Moses Lake, WA | 1295 nm out, 22 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,188 ft | ||||
| SEA Seattle, WA | destination | no report just now | 432 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,680 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SEA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:18 pm PDT (19:18 UTC)
SEA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 11 nm from the route, 219 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at ATW 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at SEA 6:25 pm PDT (01:25 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:56 pm PDT (01:56 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: Appleton International, Seattle-Tacoma International.