Plan a flight · Mon 4:01 am EDT (08:01 UTC)

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International to Grand Forks International CVG → GFK

761 nautical miles (876 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 319°, about 325° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6W). At 120 knots that is 6 h 44 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot headwind), arriving about 9:45 am CDT (14:45 UTC). Right now CVG is low IFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots; GFK is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 15 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 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 first 79 nm of the route.
AIRMET TANGO 3W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Over the route from 297 to 435 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 last 138 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 CVG.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

B752 climbing, 7 nm west, 3:37 am EDT (07:37 UTC): overcast. At the departure end, 7 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CVG UA /OV 5 W CVG/TM 0737/FLDURC/TP B752/SK B001 OVC T015
```
Report
a routine report filed through CVG
Where
5 west cvg
Time
07:37 UTC
Height
during the climb
Aircraft
B752
Sky
B001 overcast T015
B739 at 35,000 ft, 38 nm southwest, 3:05 am EDT (07:05 UTC): no turbulence. 188 nm along the route, 38 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
TIP UA /OV RBS010023/TM 0705/FL350/TP B739/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through TIP
Where
23 nm north (010°) of RBS
Time
07:05 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
B739
Turbulence
none

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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (CVG, IND, JOT, DBQ, LSE, MSP, AXN, GFK). 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 16 kt	+7 kt		113 kt	6 h 44 min	9:45 am CDT (14:45 UTC)
6,500 ft	260° at 18 kt	+11 kt	14 °C	109 kt	6 h 59 min	10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC)
8,500 ft	260° at 16 kt	+10 kt	11 °C	110 kt	6 h 55 min	9:56 am CDT (14:56 UTC)
10,500 ft	260° at 15 kt	+10 kt	7 °C	110 kt	6 h 55 min	9:56 am CDT (14:56 UTC)
12,500 ft	260° at 16 kt	+10 kt	3 °C	110 kt	6 h 55 min	9:56 am CDT (14:56 UTC)
14,500 ft	270° at 20 kt	+13 kt	-1 °C	107 kt	7 h 07 min	10:08 am CDT (15:08 UTC)
16,500 ft	270° at 23 kt	+17 kt	-5 °C	103 kt	7 h 23 min	10:24 am CDT (15:24 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 26 kt	+19 kt	-9 °C	101 kt	7 h 32 min	10:33 am CDT (15:33 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	270° at 30 kt	+24 kt	-20 °C	96 kt	7 h 56 min	10:57 am CDT (15:57 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	280° at 33 kt	+26 kt	-35 °C	94 kt	8 h 06 min	11:07 am CDT (16:07 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	280° at 44 kt	+36 kt	-44 °C	84 kt	9 h 04 min	12:05 pm CDT (17:05 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	280° at 54 kt	+46 kt	-52 °C	74 kt	10 h 17 min	1:18 pm CDT (18:18 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
CVG	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	320/18	350/32 16°	350/35 10°	350/30 3°	330/30 -7°	340/44 -20°	340/58 -35°	330/72 -41°	320/36 -49°
IND	used from 49 nm out; 30 nm from the line	290/16	310/20 16°	320/21 10°	330/13 3°	300/25 -7°	320/32 -19°	330/46 -34°	320/61 -43°	320/63 -50°
JOT	used from 148 nm out; 48 nm from the line	250/23	270/22 15°	250/16 10°	240/9 4°	280/22 -7°	280/29 -19°	300/29 -34°	290/50 -43°	300/64 -52°
DBQ	used from 297 nm out; 63 nm from the line	230/33	250/30 16°	280/15 9°	260/15 5°	260/21 -7°	260/24 -20°	250/37 -33°	270/42 -43°	280/63 -52°
LSE	used from 346 nm out; 46 nm from the line	230/40	240/24 17°	240/13 10°	250/13 6°	280/22 -9°	250/28 -21°	250/41 -34°	260/42 -44°	270/62 -53°
MSP	used from 445 nm out; 56 nm from the line	230/26	240/30 17°	240/24 12°	250/22 5°	250/35 -10°	260/36 -21°	250/41 -36°	250/49 -45°	260/58 -52°
AXN	used from 593 nm out; 48 nm from the line	100/14	250/21 14°	240/24 12°	240/31 5°	260/36 -10°	260/40 -21°	250/42 -36°	260/48 -45°	260/53 -50°
GFK	used from 692 nm out; 44 nm from the line	070/18	100/10 9°	250/11 6°	250/27 1°	250/34 -10°	260/43 -21°	260/39 -36°	260/36 -46°	260/59 -53°

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
CVG Covington, KY	departure	low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 100 feet Weather: fog	from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots	0.25 mi	100 ft	896 ft	3:52 am EDT (07:52 UTC)
GFD Greenfield, IN	69 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line	no report just now				895 ft
AID Anderson, IN	79 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line, tower	marginal VFR Weather: mist	calm	3 mi	none	919 ft	07:55 UTC
MDW Chicago, IL	217 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (210°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	25,000 ft	619 ft	07:53 UTC
JVL Janesville, WI	297 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	807 ft	07:55 UTC
MSN Madison, WI	326 nm out, 13 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	886 ft	07:53 UTC
CMY Sparta, WI	405 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 21,000 feet	calm	10+ mi	none	839 ft	07:55 UTC
ANE Minneapolis, MN	524 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR Sky: overcast at 17,000 feet	from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots	9 mi	17,000 ft	912 ft	07:55 UTC
STC St Cloud, MN	573 nm out, 25 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the north-northwest (330°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	1,030 ft	07:53 UTC
SAZ Staples, MN	623 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line	VFR	from the north-northeast (020°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,287 ft	07:55 UTC
CKN Crookston, MN	741 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line	IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet	from the north-northeast (030°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	900 ft	896 ft	07:55 UTC
GFK Grand Forks, ND	destination	IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet	from the north-northeast (020°) at 15 knots	8 mi	600 ft	845 ft	2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,287 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At GFK when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:45 am CDT (14:45 UTC)

Wind from the north-northeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet IFR

30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): light rain showers

The whole forecast for GFK

From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north at 14 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 400 feet
From Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
30% chance between Mon 5:00 am CDT (10:00 UTC) and 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): light rain showers
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, overcast at 700 feet

The forecast for CVG, the departure

From Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility ½ mile, fog, scattered clouds at 200 feet
At times between Mon 4:00 am EDT (08:00 UTC) and 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): visibility ½ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
From Mon 10:00 am EDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 8:00 pm EDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

6/8029 Cincinnati, OH, Friday, October 9, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · until 12 October · ZID
6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, 534 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
6/4348 GRAND FORKS AFB, ND, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZMP

Daylight

Sunset at CVG 7:04 pm EDT (23:04 UTC), at GFK 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm CDT (00:17 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

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International, Grand Forks International.