Plan a flight · Mon 9:07 am CDT (14:07 UTC)

Watertown Regional to Yellowstone Regional ATY → COD

506 nautical miles (583 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 272°, about 266° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 14-knot headwind), arriving about 12:53 pm MDT (18:53 UTC). Right now ATY is low IFR, wind from the east (080°) at 5 knots; COD is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) at 9 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 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 whole route.
AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 79 nm of the route.
AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 50 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 ATY.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

C25A at 7,500 ft, 4 nm north, 7:31 am CDT (12:31 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: during the climb. At the departure end, 4 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ATY UA /OV ATY/TM 1231/FL075/TP C25A/SK BASEUNKN/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURC
```
Report
a routine report filed through ATY
Where
over ATY
Time
12:31 UTC
Height
at 7,500 ft
Aircraft
C25A
Sky
baseunkn
Turbulence
none
Icing
none
Remarks
during the climb
C441 at 5,000 ft, 29 nm north, 6:52 am CDT (11:52 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, remarks: during the climb. 50 nm along the route, 29 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ABR UA /OV ABR/TM 1152/FL050/TP C441/SK BASEUNKN-TOP032/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURC
```
Report
a routine report filed through ABR
Where
over ABR
Time
11:52 UTC
Height
at 5,000 ft
Aircraft
C441
Sky
BASEUNKN-TOP032
Turbulence
none
Icing
none
Remarks
during the climb
SF50 at 4,000 ft, 32 nm south, 8:47 am CDT (13:47 UTC): no turbulence, no icing. 129 nm along the route, 32 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
PIR UA /OV PIR/TM 1347/FL040/TP SF50/SK BASE008-TOP040/TB NEG/IC NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through PIR
Where
over PIR
Time
13:47 UTC
Height
at 4,000 ft
Aircraft
SF50
Sky
BASE008-TOP040
Turbulence
none
Icing
none
A321 at 35,000 ft, 37 nm north, 8:38 am CDT (13:38 UTC): no turbulence. 139 nm along the route, 37 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MBG UA /OV MBG/TM 1338/FL350/TP A321/SK TOP310/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through MBG
Where
over MBG
Time
13:38 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
A321
Sky
TOP310
Turbulence
none

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 5 forecast points nearest it (ABR, PIR, RAP, MLS, BIL). 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	260° at 14 kt	+14 kt	13 °C	106 kt	4 h 46 min	12:53 pm MDT (18:53 UTC)
6,500 ft	250° at 17 kt	+16 kt	13 °C	104 kt	4 h 52 min	12:59 pm MDT (18:59 UTC)
8,500 ft	250° at 21 kt	+19 kt	11 °C	101 kt	5 h 01 min	1:08 pm MDT (19:08 UTC)
10,500 ft	240° at 23 kt	+21 kt	5 °C	99 kt	5 h 07 min	1:14 pm MDT (19:14 UTC)
12,500 ft	240° at 25 kt	+21 kt	2 °C	99 kt	5 h 07 min	1:14 pm MDT (19:14 UTC)
14,500 ft	230° at 27 kt	+20 kt	-3 °C	100 kt	5 h 04 min	1:11 pm MDT (19:11 UTC)
16,500 ft	220° at 29 kt	+18 kt	-7 °C	102 kt	4 h 58 min	1:05 pm MDT (19:05 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	210° at 31 kt	+18 kt	-11 °C	102 kt	4 h 58 min	1:05 pm MDT (19:05 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	210° at 44 kt	+25 kt	-23 °C	95 kt	5 h 20 min	1:27 pm MDT (19:27 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	230° at 46 kt	+37 kt	-33 °C	83 kt	6 h 06 min	2:13 pm MDT (20:13 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	230° at 49 kt	+41 kt	-38 °C	79 kt	6 h 24 min	2:31 pm MDT (20:31 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	240° at 59 kt	+51 kt	-46 °C	69 kt	7 h 20 min	3:27 pm MDT (21:27 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
ABR	used from 0 nm out; 43 nm from the line	080/12	210/12 17°	220/22 12°	230/26 5°	220/28 -10°	230/41 -21°	250/36 -36°	260/47 -39°	260/63 -47°
PIR	used from 99 nm out; 34 nm from the line		230/15 15°	220/22 14°	220/24 6°	200/32 -10°	210/48 -22°	240/45 -33°	240/43 -37°	250/55 -46°
RAP	used from 199 nm out; 58 nm from the line		250/28 16°	260/31 10°	240/25 4°	210/35 -10°	200/45 -23°	230/47 -31°	230/47 -36°	230/51 -46°
MLS	used from 348 nm out; 101 nm from the line		290/17 -1°	250/18 0°	230/25 0°	220/31 -11°	220/32 -24°	220/50 -32°	220/60 -38°	230/71 -46°
BIL	used from 397 nm out; 93 nm from the line		300/14	270/19 -2°	260/26 -2°	220/28 -13°	210/51 -25°	220/56 -33°	220/61 -39°	220/72 -45°

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
ATY Watertown, SD	departure	low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: fog	from the east (080°) at 5 knots	0.5 mi	200 ft	1,749 ft	9:04 am CDT (14:04 UTC)
MKA Miller, SD	79 nm out, 25 nm south of the line	no report just now				1,569 ft
EFC Belle Fourche, SD	288 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line	no report just now				3,190 ft
GCC Gillette, WY	358 nm out, 25 nm south of the line	marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 700 feet, scattered clouds at 1,300 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet Weather: mist	from the northwest (310°) at 12 knots	4 mi	2,500 ft	4,365 ft	14:04 UTC
SHR Sheridan, WY	417 nm out, 6 nm north of the line	IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet	from the north-northwest (330°) at 14 knots	10+ mi	900 ft	4,021 ft	13:53 UTC
GEY Greybull, WY	467 nm out, 5 nm south of the line	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet	from the northwest (320°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	1,100 ft	3,941 ft	14:04 UTC
COD Cody, WY	destination	IFR Sky: a broken layer at 500 feet, overcast at 1,600 feet	from the north-northeast (030°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	500 ft	5,102 ft	7:56 am MDT (13:56 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 5,102 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At COD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:53 pm MDT (18:53 UTC)

Wind from the northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet marginal VFR

The whole forecast for COD

From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,000 feet, overcast at 1,800 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 3,000 feet
30% chance between Mon 4:00 pm MDT (22:00 UTC) and 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): visibility 6 miles, light showers rain snow
From Mon 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, scattered clouds at 500 feet, a broken layer at 1,000 feet and more above

The forecast for ATY, the departure

From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 8 knots, visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 300 feet
At times between Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC) and 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet
From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility 1½ miles, mist, overcast at 500 feet
From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
From Tue 2:00 am CDT (07:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.

Daylight

Sunset at ATY 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC), at COD 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:04 pm MDT (01:04 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

Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Watertown Regional, Yellowstone Regional.