Bozeman Yellowstone International to Portland International BZN → PDX
480 nautical miles (552 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 273°, about 260° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 11-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:18 pm PDT (04:18 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now BZN is low IFR, wind calm; PDX is VFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) 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: 928 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 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 160 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 230 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 330 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 20 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 14,000 ft. Over the route from 150 to 400 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 BZN.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E75L at 14,000 ft, 41 nm north, 5:22 pm MDT (23:22 UTC): moderate turbulence from 14,000 ft to 21,000 ft, remarks: during the climb zlc. 120 nm along the route, 41 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
MSO UA /OV 32S/TM 2322/FL140/TP E75L/TB MOD 140-210/RM DURC /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through MSO
- Where
- over 32S
- Time
- 23:22 UTC
- Height
- at 14,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Turbulence
- moderate from 14,000 ft to 21,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb zlc
- E75L at 10,000 ft, 23 nm north, 4:04 pm MDT (22:04 UTC): moderate rime icing, -9 °C, remarks: from 10,000 ft to 7,500 ft during the descent. At the destination end, 23 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
PDX UA /OV PDX360025/TM 2204/FL100/TP E75L/TA M9/IC MOD RIME /RM 100-075 DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through PDX
- Where
- 25 nm north (360°) of PDX
- Time
- 22:04 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Temperature
- −9 °C
- Icing
- moderate rime
- Remarks
- from 10,000 ft to 7,500 ft during the descent
- B737 descending, 0 nm northwest, 6:28 pm MDT (00:28 UTC): scattered clouds above 8,000 ft, fog, snow, remarks: broke out about 100FT above mins. At the departure end, 0 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
BZN UA /OV BZN/TM 0028/FLDURD/TP B737/SK SCT080/WX 1/2SM SN FG/RM BROKE OUT ABOUT 100FT ABOVE MINS
- Report
- a routine report filed through BZN
- Where
- over BZN
- Time
- 00:28 UTC
- Height
- during the descent
- Aircraft
- B737
- Sky
- scattered clouds from 8,000 ft
- Weather
- 1/2SM, snow, fog
- Remarks
- broke out about 100FT above mins
- B738 at 24,000 ft, 8 nm north, 5:13 pm MDT (23:13 UTC): remarks: snow top flight level at 24,000 ft zlc. 30 nm along the route, 8 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
BZN UA /OV BZN270030/TM 2313/FL240/TP B738/RM SN TOP FL 240 /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through BZN
- Where
- 30 nm west (270°) of BZN
- Time
- 23:13 UTC
- Height
- at 24,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Remarks
- snow top flight level at 24,000 ft zlc
- C210 at 9,000 ft, 20 nm south, 4:51 pm MDT (22:51 UTC): light rime icing, -13 °C, remarks: base 080-ZSE. 360 nm along the route, 20 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
PDT UA /OV PDT230040/TM 2251/FL090/TP C210/TA M13/IC LGT RIME/RM BASE 080-ZSE
- Report
- a routine report filed through PDT
- Where
- 40 nm southwest (230°) of PDT
- Time
- 22:51 UTC
- Height
- at 9,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C210
- Temperature
- −13 °C
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- base 080-ZSE
- C182 at 8,000 ft, 9 nm northeast, 4:52 pm MDT (22:52 UTC): light rime icing, -2 °C. At the destination end, 9 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
PDX UA /OV PDX040017/TM 2252/FL080/TP C182/TA M02/IC LGT RIME
- Report
- a routine report filed through PDX
- Where
- 17 nm northeast (040°) of PDX
- Time
- 22:52 UTC
- Height
- at 8,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C182
- Temperature
- −2 °C
- Icing
- light rime
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 4 forecast points nearest it (DLN, LWS, YKM, PDX). 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 | 020° at 11 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 3 h 50 min | 9:28 pm PDT (04:28 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 030° at 15 kt | −8 kt | -2 °C | 128 kt | 3 h 45 min | 9:23 pm PDT (04:23 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 040° at 15 kt | −11 kt | -5 °C | 131 kt | 3 h 40 min | 9:18 pm PDT (04:18 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 050° at 11 kt | −9 kt | -7 °C | 129 kt | 3 h 43 min | 9:21 pm PDT (04:21 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 060° at 6 kt | −6 kt | -10 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 49 min | 9:27 pm PDT (04:27 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 070° at 5 kt | −6 kt | -13 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 49 min | 9:27 pm PDT (04:27 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 070° at 5 kt | −6 kt | -16 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 49 min | 9:27 pm PDT (04:27 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 070° at 5 kt | −6 kt | -19 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 49 min | 9:27 pm PDT (04:27 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 7 kt | +4 kt | -26 °C | 116 kt | 4 h 08 min | 9:46 pm PDT (04:46 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 15 kt | +7 kt | -36 °C | 113 kt | 4 h 15 min | 9:53 pm PDT (04:53 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 28 kt | +22 kt | -39 °C | 98 kt | 4 h 54 min | 10:32 pm PDT (05:32 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 33 kt | +29 kt | -42 °C | 91 kt | 5 h 16 min | 10:54 pm PDT (05:54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DLN | used from 0 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 080/10 -3° | 180/8 -3° | 180/23 -14° | 200/58 -22° | 200/80 -36° | 220/85 -41° | 230/81 -45° | ||
| LWS | used from 150 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 010/5 | 050/14 -2° | 040/12 -6° | 160/7 -10° | 190/30 -22° | 200/54 -27° | 200/48 -35° | 210/40 -37° | 230/32 -41° |
| YKM | used from 300 nm out; 83 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° |
| PDX | used from 400 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 330/7 | 360/13 0° | 040/22 -6° | 030/23 -12° | 020/64 -18° | 010/93 -25° | 010/91 -39° | 360/62 -40° | 350/41 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BZN Bozeman, MT | departure | low IFR Sky: scattered clouds at 200 feet, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,100 feet Weather: snow, fog | calm | 0.5 mi | 1,100 ft | 4,473 ft | 5:56 pm MDT (23:56 UTC) |
| BTM Butte, MT | 60 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: scattered clouds at 500 feet, overcast at 1,100 feet Weather: snow, freezing fog | from the north-northwest (330°) at 5 knots | 0.5 mi | 1,100 ft | 5,550 ft | 00:28 UTC |
| GIC Grangeville, ID | 210 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 3,100 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 3,100 ft | 3,313 ft | 00:15 UTC |
| PDT Pendleton, OR | 320 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 6,000 feet | from the north (360°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 1,494 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| HRI Hermiston, OR | 340 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 7,000 feet | from the north (360°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 7,000 ft | 644 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| DLS The Dalles, OR | 420 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 9,500 feet | from the west-southwest (240°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 9,500 ft | 246 ft | 23:53 UTC |
| CZK Cascade Locks, OR | 450 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 151 ft | ||||
| PDX Portland, OR | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 feet, a broken layer at 9,500 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 9,500 ft | 30 ft | 4:53 pm PDT (23:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,550 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PDX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:18 pm PDT (04:18 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for PDX
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm PDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for BZN, the departure
- From Sun 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility ½ mile, snow, fog, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Sun 9:00 pm MDT (03:00 UTC) and 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 2 miles, light snow, mist, scattered clouds at 300 feet, overcast at 1,200 feet
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 7 knots, visibility 2 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 800 feet
- At times between Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC) and 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): visibility 6 miles, light snow, mist, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 3:00 am MDT (09:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 800 feet, overcast at 2,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm MDT (23:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet
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 BZN 6:44 pm MDT (00:44 UTC), at PDX 6:30 pm PDT (01:30 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PDX is after sunset there (6:32 pm PDT (01:32 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: Bozeman Yellowstone International, Portland International.