Buffalo Niagara International to Valley International BUF → HRL
1,365 nautical miles (1,571 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 229°, about 240° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 10 h 35 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 9-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:13 pm CDT (22:13 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: 4 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 538 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Near the route, 957 nm along 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 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 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 14 forecast points nearest it (BUF, CLE, CMH, CVG, LOU, BNA, MEM, JAN, SHV, LCH, HOU, PSX, CRP, BRO). 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 | 250° at 7 kt | +7 kt | 113 kt | 12 h 05 min | 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 270° at 8 kt | +5 kt | 15 °C | 115 kt | 11 h 52 min | 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 290° at 8 kt | +4 kt | 12 °C | 116 kt | 11 h 46 min | 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 9 kt | +3 kt | 8 °C | 117 kt | 11 h 40 min | 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 11 kt | +3 kt | 4 °C | 117 kt | 11 h 40 min | 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 13 kt | +3 kt | 1 °C | 117 kt | 11 h 40 min | 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 16 kt | +3 kt | -3 °C | 117 kt | 11 h 40 min | 6:18 pm CDT (23:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 18 kt | +4 kt | -6 °C | 116 kt | 11 h 46 min | 6:24 pm CDT (23:24 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 300° at 20 kt | +7 kt | -17 °C | 113 kt | 12 h 05 min | 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 320° at 29 kt | −2 kt | -32 °C | 122 kt | 11 h 11 min | 5:49 pm CDT (22:49 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 320° at 38 kt | −2 kt | -42 °C | 122 kt | 11 h 11 min | 5:49 pm CDT (22:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 330° at 43 kt | −9 kt | -51 °C | 129 kt | 10 h 35 min | 5:13 pm CDT (22:13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUF | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/11 | 330/15 11° | 340/26 8° | 330/28 2° | 340/31 -10° | 340/32 -21° | 340/52 -37° | 340/59 -46° | 330/66 -53° |
| CLE | used from 100 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 310/7 | 350/20 14° | 340/16 9° | 320/21 2° | 320/32 -8° | 330/34 -20° | 330/45 -36° | 320/60 -45° | 320/64 -51° |
| CMH | used from 199 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 320/12 | 340/26 15° | 340/22 9° | 320/24 3° | 320/32 -7° | 320/36 -20° | 330/42 -35° | 320/59 -44° | 320/57 -50° |
| CVG | used from 299 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 300/19 | 310/23 15° | 320/20 9° | 310/18 3° | 300/26 -6° | 290/36 -19° | 310/32 -34° | 310/53 -43° | 310/61 -51° |
| LOU | used from 399 nm out; 12 nm from the line | 300/16 | 310/19 15° | 310/17 9° | 300/15 4° | 300/26 -6° | 280/34 -19° | 290/30 -34° | 310/49 -42° | 310/58 -51° |
| BNA | used from 498 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 300/20 | 300/14 15° | 300/14 10° | 300/13 4° | 310/22 -5° | 280/24 -18° | 310/37 -33° | 310/50 -41° | 320/49 -51° |
| MEM | used from 648 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 250/19 | 260/19 17° | 270/20 12° | 270/16 6° | 270/21 -6° | 290/27 -17° | 300/37 -30° | 300/49 -40° | 310/40 -51° |
| JAN | used from 797 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 240/10 | 260/15 18° | 280/10 11° | 290/6 6° | 290/15 -5° | 300/15 -17° | 320/35 -30° | 330/38 -40° | 330/39 -51° |
| SHV | used from 897 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 210/20 | 210/20 18° | 230/20 11° | 240/16 7° | 270/17 -7° | 250/11 -15° | 300/34 -30° | 310/34 -40° | 320/36 -51° |
| LCH | used from 947 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 170/21 | 160/23 18° | 170/13 13° | 170/6 8° | 300/12 -7° | 280/16 -14° | 320/27 -30° | 330/23 -41° | 340/38 -51° |
| HOU | used from 1096 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 180/22 | 180/20 16° | 170/7 15° | L/V 8° | 220/11 -6° | 260/15 -13° | 310/20 -30° | 320/20 -40° | 350/32 -51° |
| PSX | used from 1146 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 160/24 | 190/17 17° | 200/10 15° | L/V 8° | 260/7 -5° | 220/10 -12° | 310/11 -30° | 320/13 -40° | 010/29 -51° |
| CRP | used from 1246 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 140/21 | 160/22 17° | 180/14 13° | 210/6 9° | 270/10 -5° | 200/8 -13° | L/V -29° | L/V -40° | 030/28 -51° |
| BRO | used from 1296 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 160/15 | 160/15 18° | 170/11 14° | 150/7 9° | L/V -4° | 170/6 -15° | 100/15 -29° | 100/14 -41° | 040/26 -51° |
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 | no report just now | 726 ft | ||||
| ERI Erie, PA | 80 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 732 ft | ||||
| TZR Columbus, OH | 269 nm out, 0 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 904 ft | ||||
| ILN Wilmington, OH | 309 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,076 ft | ||||
| SDF Louisville, KY | 429 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 500 ft | ||||
| MKL Jackson, TN | 648 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 434 ft | ||||
| GLH Greenville, MS | 807 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 130 ft | ||||
| MLU Monroe, LA | 887 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 78 ft | ||||
| BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX | 1066 nm out, 11 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 14 ft | ||||
| GLS Galveston, TX | 1126 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 5 ft | ||||
| HRL Harlingen, TX | destination | no report just now | 36 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,076 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At HRL when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:13 pm CDT (22:13 UTC)
HRL has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 120 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8888 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 15 nm from the route, 130 nm along the route · security · today · ZOB
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 10 nm from the route, 140 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 9 nm from the route, 359 nm along the route · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
Daylight
Sunset at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at HRL 7:04 pm CDT (00:04 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:28 pm CDT (00:28 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, Valley International.