Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall to Harrisburg International BWI → MDT
61 nautical miles (70 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 356°, about 007° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 29 min at the quickest height in today's winds (30,000 ft, a 5-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:32 am EDT (09:32 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BWI is IFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 9 knots, gusting to 16; MDT is marginal VFR, wind from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 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: 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, fog). Over the whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 35 to 44 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Near the route, at the destination end.
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 BWI.
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 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 2 forecast points nearest it (ACY, PSB). 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 12 kt | +12 kt | 108 kt | 34 min | 5:37 am EDT (09:37 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 360° at 14 kt | +14 kt | 12 °C | 106 kt | 35 min | 5:38 am EDT (09:38 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 350° at 15 kt | +15 kt | 9 °C | 105 kt | 35 min | 5:38 am EDT (09:38 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 350° at 16 kt | +16 kt | 5 °C | 104 kt | 35 min | 5:38 am EDT (09:38 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 350° at 17 kt | +17 kt | 3 °C | 103 kt | 36 min | 5:39 am EDT (09:39 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 340° at 16 kt | +15 kt | -1 °C | 105 kt | 35 min | 5:38 am EDT (09:38 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 330° at 14 kt | +13 kt | -5 °C | 107 kt | 34 min | 5:37 am EDT (09:37 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 320° at 13 kt | +10 kt | -9 °C | 110 kt | 33 min | 5:36 am EDT (09:36 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 320° at 13 kt | +10 kt | -10 °C | 110 kt | 33 min | 5:36 am EDT (09:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 14 kt | +7 kt | -23 °C | 113 kt | 32 min | 5:35 am EDT (09:35 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 29 kt | −5 kt | -34 °C | 125 kt | 29 min | 5:32 am EDT (09:32 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 32 kt | −2 kt | -41 °C | 122 kt | 30 min | 5:33 am EDT (09:33 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 31 kt | −3 kt | -50 °C | 123 kt | 30 min | 5:33 am EDT (09:33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACY | used from 0 nm out; 99 nm from the line | 350/12 | 340/12 11° | 340/12 6° | 340/13 2° | 270/10 -10° | 240/17 -23° | 230/46 -33° | 230/46 -40° | 240/46 -49° |
| PSB | used from 44 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 020/21 12° | 360/28 7° | 360/29 1° | 350/33 -10° | 350/42 -22° | 350/49 -37° | 340/63 -43° | 350/39 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BWI Baltimore, MD | departure | IFR Sky: scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,100 feet Weather: light rain, mist | from the north-northwest (340°) at 9 knots, gusting to 16 | 1.75 mi | 1,100 ft | 143 ft | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) |
| THV York, PA | 44 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 600 ft | 494 ft | 08:42 UTC |
| MDT Harrisburg, PA | destination | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,000 feet, overcast at 2,300 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,000 ft | 310 ft | 4:56 am EDT (08:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 494 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDT when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:32 am EDT (09:32 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet marginal VFR
The whole forecast for MDT
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 10 knots, visibility 6 miles, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet, overcast at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm EDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
The forecast for BWI, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 9 knots, gusting to 16, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,300 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 1,400 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 4:00 pm EDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 3,500 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 12 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZDC
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 3 nm from the route, 9 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
Daylight
Sunset at BWI 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC), at MDT 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDT 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: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall, Harrisburg International.