Buffalo Niagara International to Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport BUF → DCA
257 nautical miles (296 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 162°, about 173° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 1 h 56 min at the quickest height in today's winds (7,500 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:01 am EDT (05:01 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BUF is VFR, wind from the north (010°) at 3 knots; DCA is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 7 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: 2,157 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: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the last 228 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 40 to 198 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 BUF.
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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (BUF, PSB, RIC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 360° at 13 kt | −12 kt | 13 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 57 min | 1:02 am EDT (05:02 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 350° at 13 kt | −13 kt | 10 °C | 133 kt | 1 h 56 min | 1:01 am EDT (05:01 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 330° at 12 kt | −12 kt | 6 °C | 132 kt | 1 h 57 min | 1:02 am EDT (05:02 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 310° at 11 kt | −9 kt | 4 °C | 129 kt | 2 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 300° at 11 kt | −9 kt | 0 °C | 129 kt | 2 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 300° at 12 kt | −9 kt | -5 °C | 129 kt | 2 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 13 kt | −9 kt | -10 °C | 129 kt | 2 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 13 kt | −9 kt | -11 °C | 129 kt | 2 h | 1:05 am EDT (05:05 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 22 kt | +1 kt | -23 °C | 119 kt | 2 h 10 min | 1:15 am EDT (05:15 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 25 kt | −10 kt | -36 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 59 min | 1:04 am EDT (05:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 33 kt | −2 kt | -41 °C | 122 kt | 2 h 06 min | 1:11 am EDT (05:11 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 43 kt | −1 kt | -48 °C | 121 kt | 2 h 07 min | 1:12 am EDT (05:12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
| PSB | used from 49 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 360/13 13° | 330/14 7° | 300/11 3° | 290/12 -11° | 240/23 -23° | 270/25 -36° | 250/34 -40° | 250/45 -48° | |
| RIC | used from 247 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 270/23 | 280/19 11° | 270/18 8° | 240/22 4° | 230/39 -7° | 220/55 -18° | 220/75 -30° | 230/83 -39° | 230/64 -50° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF Buffalo, NY | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet, a broken layer at 16,000 feet, a broken layer at 24,000 feet | from the north (010°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 16,000 ft | 726 ft | 10:54 pm EDT (02:54 UTC) |
| OLE Olean, NY | 49 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet | from the east-southeast (120°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 400 ft | 2,135 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| OYM St Marys, PA | 89 nm out, 19 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,934 ft | ||||
| UNV State College, PA | 129 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northeast (030°) at 6 knots | 2 mi | 300 ft | 1,231 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| HGR Hagerstown, MD | 198 nm out, 16 nm west of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 7 knots | 7 mi | 1,200 ft | 703 ft | 02:53 UTC |
| FDK Frederick, MD | 218 nm out, 6 nm southwest of the line, tower | IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the north (360°) at 8 knots | 6 mi | 600 ft | 308 ft | 02:55 UTC |
| DCA Washington, DC | destination | IFR Sky: overcast at 500 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist | from the north-northeast (020°) at 7 knots | 5 mi | 500 ft | 14 ft | 10:52 pm EDT (02:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,135 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At DCA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:01 am EDT (05:01 UTC)
Wind from the north at 7 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 800 feet IFR
The whole forecast for DCA
- From Sun 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 7 knots, visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 500 feet
- From Mon 1:00 am EDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the north at 7 knots, visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am EDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 13 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 7:00 pm EDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for BUF, the departure
- From Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the east at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 3,000 feet
- 30% chance between Sun 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC) and 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Sun 10:00 pm EDT (02:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind calm, visibility 6 miles, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am EDT (13:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 25 nm from the route, 237 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 5 nm from the route, 237 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA on the route, at the destination end · security · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at DCA 6:34 pm EDT (22:34 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm EDT (23:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at DCA is before sunrise there (7:14 am EDT (11:14 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: Buffalo Niagara International, Ronald Reagan Washington Ntl Airport.