Buffalo Niagara International to Seattle-Tacoma International BUF → SEA
1,839 nautical miles (2,116 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 294°, about 305° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:31 am PDT (16:31 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
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 0 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 150 nm along the route.
- 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 route from 750 to 910 nm out.
- 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 route from 1000 to 1479 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 1029 to 1569 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1319 to 1589 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 16,000 ft. Over the route from 1339 to 1719 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 170 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 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 20:00–03:00 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, TVC, GRB, DLH, AXN, GFK, MOT, DIK, GGW, GTF, GPI, GEG, YKM, SEA). 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 | 090° at 4 kt | −5 kt | 1 °C | 125 kt | 14 h 43 min | 9:31 am PDT (16:31 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 050° at 1 kt | −2 kt | 7 °C | 122 kt | 15 h 04 min | 9:52 am PDT (16:52 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 270° at 2 kt | +2 kt | 4 °C | 118 kt | 15 h 35 min | 10:23 am PDT (17:23 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 6 kt | +4 kt | 1 °C | 116 kt | 15 h 51 min | 10:39 am PDT (17:39 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 9 kt | +7 kt | -3 °C | 113 kt | 16 h 16 min | 11:04 am PDT (18:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 13 kt | +10 kt | -7 °C | 110 kt | 16 h 43 min | 11:31 am PDT (18:31 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | +14 kt | -11 °C | 106 kt | 17 h 21 min | 12:09 pm PDT (19:09 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 19 kt | +16 kt | -13 °C | 104 kt | 17 h 41 min | 12:29 pm PDT (19:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 29 kt | +27 kt | -23 °C | 93 kt | 19 h 46 min | 2:34 pm PDT (21:34 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 41 kt | +39 kt | -37 °C | 81 kt | 22 h 42 min | 5:30 pm PDT (00:30 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 47 kt | +45 kt | -45 °C | 75 kt | 24 h 31 min | 7:19 pm PDT (02:19 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 55 kt | +54 kt | -49 °C | 66 kt | 27 h 52 min | 10:40 pm PDT (05:40 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 | 170/19 | L/V 10° | 040/9 6° | 220/8 2° | 230/15 -11° | 220/33 -22° | 220/47 -35° | 230/55 -41° | 230/56 -50° |
| TVC | used from 150 nm out; 141 nm from the line | 210/17 | 290/14 15° | 310/20 9° | 310/18 2° | 310/24 -11° | 320/35 -22° | 320/53 -39° | 310/45 -49° | 290/58 -51° |
| GRB | used from 400 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 240/24 | 260/18 16° | 270/20 11° | 290/14 4° | 280/24 -9° | 300/34 -21° | 310/51 -38° | 310/54 -48° | 300/71 -51° |
| DLH | used from 500 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 240/6 | 230/22 15° | 250/28 11° | 230/22 4° | 270/33 -12° | 280/47 -21° | 280/59 -37° | 290/65 -47° | 290/88 -55° |
| AXN | used from 700 nm out; 54 nm from the line | L/V | 220/23 17° | 230/24 12° | 240/25 5° | 260/32 -11° | 260/40 -21° | 270/50 -35° | 270/57 -45° | 270/81 -55° |
| GFK | used from 800 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 050/18 | L/V 10° | 240/20 7° | 240/36 1° | 250/47 -11° | 260/53 -21° | 270/59 -36° | 270/65 -47° | 260/88 -56° |
| MOT | used from 900 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 070/8 6° | 180/7 2° | 220/18 -1° | 240/37 -11° | 250/55 -20° | 250/64 -36° | 250/70 -46° | 250/80 -54° | |
| DIK | used from 1000 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 110/15 6° | 200/17 5° | 230/31 1° | 240/47 -10° | 240/52 -20° | 230/52 -36° | 240/57 -45° | 250/67 -51° | |
| GGW | used from 1099 nm out; 85 nm from the line | 090/18 0° | 140/12 -2° | 150/13 -3° | 200/35 -12° | 230/56 -22° | 240/75 -37° | 240/81 -46° | 240/78 -49° | |
| GTF | used from 1299 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 070/21 | 080/18 -6° | 120/5 -5° | 180/30 -14° | 200/53 -24° | 210/80 -38° | 220/83 -44° | 230/68 -46° | |
| GPI | used from 1449 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 060/19 -3° | 110/11 -8° | 130/6 -8° | 200/40 -19° | 190/58 -28° | 200/101 -39° | 220/73 -43° | 230/41 -43° | |
| GEG | used from 1599 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 050/18 -2° | 060/19 -8° | L/V -11° | 160/11 -24° | 190/17 -31° | 200/19 -35° | 220/14 -37° | 250/11 -41° | |
| YKM | used from 1699 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 030/16 | 020/18 0° | 030/30 -8° | 030/23 -13° | 020/40 -23° | 010/73 -29° | 010/54 -36° | 360/29 -37° | 330/16 -40° |
| SEA | used from 1799 nm out; 20 nm from the line | 360/9 | 350/10 1° | 010/10 -5° | 030/20 -11° | 020/60 -17° | 010/86 -26° | 360/90 -40° | 010/68 -42° | 360/31 -43° |
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 | ||||
| CYSN St Catharines, | 20 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | no report just now | 321 ft | ||||
| GOV Grayling, MI | 280 nm out, 1 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,158 ft | ||||
| PKF Park Falls, WI | 530 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,501 ft | ||||
| AIT Aitkin, MN | 670 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,206 ft | ||||
| FAR Fargo, ND | 800 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 901 ft | ||||
| HZE Hazen, ND | 1000 nm out, 13 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,814 ft | ||||
| SDY Sidney, MT | 1109 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,985 ft | ||||
| CII Choteau, MT | 1429 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,946 ft | ||||
| SFF Spokane, WA | 1639 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,956 ft | ||||
| EAT Wenatchee, WA | 1759 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,248 ft | ||||
| SEA Seattle, WA | destination | no report just now | 432 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 3,946 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SEA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:31 am PDT (16:31 UTC)
SEA has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC), at SEA 6:27 pm PDT (01:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:58 pm PDT (01:58 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, Seattle-Tacoma International.