Bellingham International to Sacramento International BLI → SMF
608 nautical miles (699 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 176°, about 160° magnetic at the departure end (variation 16E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 09 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 73-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:18 am PDT (17:18 UTC). Right now BLI is VFR, wind calm; SMF is VFR, wind calm. 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 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 279 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 BLI.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (SEA, PDX, RDM, SIY, RBL, SAC). 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 | 350° at 5 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 4 h 52 min | 12:01 pm PDT (19:01 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 010° at 7 kt | −7 kt | -2 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 47 min | 11:56 am PDT (18:56 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 010° at 10 kt | −10 kt | -2 °C | 130 kt | 4 h 41 min | 11:50 am PDT (18:50 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 010° at 15 kt | −15 kt | -5 °C | 135 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:39 am PDT (18:39 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 360° at 25 kt | −25 kt | -7 °C | 145 kt | 4 h 12 min | 11:21 am PDT (18:21 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 360° at 37 kt | −37 kt | -9 °C | 157 kt | 3 h 52 min | 11:01 am PDT (18:01 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 360° at 50 kt | −50 kt | -12 °C | 170 kt | 3 h 35 min | 10:44 am PDT (17:44 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 360° at 63 kt | −63 kt | -14 °C | 183 kt | 3 h 19 min | 10:28 am PDT (17:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 360° at 66 kt | −66 kt | -14 °C | 186 kt | 3 h 16 min | 10:25 am PDT (17:25 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 360° at 73 kt | −73 kt | -25 °C | 193 kt | 3 h 09 min | 10:18 am PDT (17:18 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 360° at 69 kt | −69 kt | -39 °C | 189 kt | 3 h 13 min | 10:22 am PDT (17:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 51 kt | −50 kt | -45 °C | 170 kt | 3 h 35 min | 10:44 am PDT (17:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 320° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -44 °C | 136 kt | 4 h 28 min | 11:37 am PDT (18:37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEA | used from 0 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 350/5 | 010/6 0° | 010/9 -4° | 010/27 -6° | 010/51 -15° | 360/58 -26° | 360/60 -41° | 350/55 -48° | 340/30 -45° |
| PDX | used from 149 nm out; 24 nm from the line | L/V | 340/8 0° | 360/12 -6° | 010/30 -7° | 360/62 -15° | 360/67 -26° | 360/68 -40° | 350/61 -48° | 340/26 -44° |
| RDM | used from 249 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 360/14 -2° | 020/25 -8° | 360/34 -13° | 360/75 -16° | 360/88 -25° | 360/80 -39° | 350/47 -42° | 360/11 -43° | |
| SIY | used from 349 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 060/14 -1° | 030/21 -4° | 010/29 -8° | 360/75 -13° | 350/77 -24° | 350/74 -39° | 340/57 -45° | 300/20 -42° | |
| RBL | used from 448 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 350/14 | 320/9 4° | 290/7 -3° | 350/22 -7° | 360/75 -13° | 350/79 -24° | 350/74 -39° | 340/49 -43° | 280/23 -43° |
| SAC | used from 548 nm out; 46 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BLI Bellingham, WA | departure | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 171 ft | 6:53 am PDT (13:53 UTC) |
| PAE Everett, WA | 50 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (100°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 606 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| SEA Seattle, WA | 80 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 432 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| TDO Toledo, WA | 139 nm out, 21 nm west of the line | no report just now | 373 ft | ||||
| TTD Portland, OR | 199 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 800 feet | from the east (090°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 38 ft | 13:58 UTC |
| LMT Klamath Falls, OR | 398 nm out, 7 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 4,095 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| CIC Chico, CA | 538 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 240 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| OVE Oroville, CA | 558 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the east (090°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 194 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 6:53 am PDT (13:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,095 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:18 am PDT (17:18 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SMF
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 pm PDT (05:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BLI, the departure
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 1:00 pm PDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am PDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 10,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local on the route, 578 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at BLI 6:24 pm PDT (01:24 UTC), at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 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: Bellingham International, Sacramento International.