Bismarck Municipal to San Francisco International BIS → SFO
1,103 nautical miles (1,269 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 248°, about 241° magnetic at the departure end (variation 7E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 54 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 4-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:39 am PDT (15:39 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
- SIGMET W15W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 2:55 am CDT (07:55 UTC). Near the route, 705 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120555 MKCW WST 120555 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 15W VALID UNTIL 0755Z UT NV FROM 60WNW BVL-10NE BVL-80E OAL-40SE OAL-20W OAL-60WNW BVL AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
- 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 427 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 route from 169 to 348 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 209 to 407 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 219 to 805 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 228 to 377 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 288 to 765 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 695 to 695 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 159 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 BIS.
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 9 forecast points nearest it (DIK, MLS, BIL, LND, PIH, BAM, RNO, SAC, 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 | 130° at 8 kt | −4 kt | 5 °C | 124 kt | 8 h 54 min | 8:39 am PDT (15:39 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 140° at 6 kt | −2 kt | 5 °C | 122 kt | 9 h 02 min | 8:47 am PDT (15:47 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 210° at 10 kt | +7 kt | 3 °C | 113 kt | 9 h 46 min | 9:31 am PDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 18 kt | +16 kt | -1 °C | 104 kt | 10 h 36 min | 10:21 am PDT (17:21 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +23 kt | -4 °C | 97 kt | 11 h 22 min | 11:07 am PDT (18:07 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | +26 kt | -8 °C | 94 kt | 11 h 44 min | 11:29 am PDT (18:29 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 32 kt | +29 kt | -11 °C | 91 kt | 12 h 07 min | 11:52 am PDT (18:52 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 34 kt | +31 kt | -14 °C | 89 kt | 12 h 24 min | 12:09 pm PDT (19:09 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 210° at 39 kt | +34 kt | -24 °C | 86 kt | 12 h 50 min | 12:35 pm PDT (19:35 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 47 kt | +44 kt | -31 °C | 76 kt | 14 h 31 min | 2:16 pm PDT (21:16 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 55 kt | +54 kt | -37 °C | 66 kt | 16 h 43 min | 4:28 pm PDT (23:28 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 55 kt | +54 kt | -44 °C | 66 kt | 16 h 43 min | 4:28 pm PDT (23:28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIK | used from 0 nm out; 63 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 149 nm out; 73 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° | |
| BIL | used from 248 nm out; 95 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° | |
| LND | used from 348 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 200/23 6° | 220/31 1° | 220/39 -11° | 230/39 -23° | 220/51 -28° | 220/66 -37° | 230/68 -45° | ||
| PIH | used from 447 nm out; 84 nm from the line | L/V | 240/13 1° | 240/15 -3° | 210/42 -15° | 200/70 -25° | 220/74 -29° | 220/71 -36° | 220/62 -43° | |
| BAM | used from 695 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| RNO | used from 844 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 993 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 110/6 | L/V 4° | 010/11 -2° | 350/11 -7° | 340/24 -16° | 360/44 -23° | 330/24 -30° | 270/21 -35° | 230/23 -43° |
| SFO | used from 1043 nm out; 35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BIS Bismarck, ND | departure | no report just now | 1,661 ft | ||||
| BWW Bowman, ND | 109 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,965 ft | ||||
| SHR Sheridan, WY | 288 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,021 ft | ||||
| GEY Greybull, WY | 338 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,941 ft | ||||
| JAC Jackson, WY | 467 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,451 ft | ||||
| PIH Pocatello, ID | 556 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,451 ft | ||||
| EKO Elko, NV | 745 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,139 ft | ||||
| BAM Battle Mountain, NV | 795 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 4,536 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | 934 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,414 ft | ||||
| CCR Concord, CA | 1073 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 25 ft | ||||
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | no report just now | 13 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,451 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, 8:39 am PDT (15:39 UTC)
SFO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7231 Santa Clara, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, at the destination end · drones kept away from a public gathering · until 12 October · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at BIS 6:59 pm CDT (23:59 UTC), at SFO 6:36 pm PDT (01:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm PDT (02:02 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: Bismarck Municipal, San Francisco International.