Plan a flight · Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC)

Des Moines International to Northwest Arkansas Ntl Airport DSM → XNA

317 nautical miles (365 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 186°, about 185° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 9-knot tailwind), arriving about 1:27 pm CDT (18:27 UTC). Right now DSM is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots; XNA is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (210°) at 11 knots, gusting to 20. 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 2W: 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 first 287 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 DSM.

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

urgent C182 , 14 nm west, 10:17 am CDT (15:17 UTC): remarks: low-level wind shear a 10-knot loss of airspeed from the surface to 800 ft during the descent runway 18 jln. 267 nm along the route, 14 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
JLN UUA /OV KLJN/TM 1517/FLDURD/TP C182/RM LLWS +/-10KT SFC-008 DURD RWY18 JLN
```
Report
an urgent report filed through JLN
Where
over KLJN
Time
15:17 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
C182
Remarks
low-level wind shear a 10-knot loss of airspeed from the surface to 800 ft during the descent runway 18 jln
B737 descending, 36 nm west, 9:55 am CDT (14:55 UTC): light turbulence up to 1,500 ft. 139 nm along the route, 36 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MCI UA /OV MCI010002/TM 1455/FLDURD/TP B737/TB LGT TURB 015-SFC
```
Report
a routine report filed through MCI
Where
2 nm north (010°) of MCI
Time
14:55 UTC
Height
during the descent
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
light turbulence from 1,500 ft to the surface
B737 at 24,000 ft, 16 nm east, 9:08 am CDT (14:08 UTC): light to moderate turbulence from 22,000 ft to 24,000 ft, remarks: during the descent MHOMS3 zkcfdc xj. 198 nm along the route, 16 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
OJC UA /OV BUM088035/TM 1408/FL240/TP B737/TB LGT-MOD 240-220/RM DURD MHOMS3 /ZKCFDC XJ
```
Report
a routine report filed through OJC
Where
35 nm east (088°) of BUM
Time
14:08 UTC
Height
at 24,000 ft
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
light to moderate from 24,000 ft to 22,000 ft
Remarks
during the descent MHOMS3 zkcfdc xj

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (DSM, MKC, SGF). 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	230° at 30 kt	+21 kt		99 kt	3 h 12 min	2:12 pm CDT (19:12 UTC)
6,500 ft	240° at 29 kt	+19 kt	18 °C	101 kt	3 h 08 min	2:08 pm CDT (19:08 UTC)
8,500 ft	230° at 27 kt	+18 kt	14 °C	102 kt	3 h 06 min	2:06 pm CDT (19:06 UTC)
10,500 ft	240° at 26 kt	+17 kt	9 °C	103 kt	3 h 05 min	2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC)
12,500 ft	240° at 27 kt	+15 kt	5 °C	105 kt	3 h 01 min	2:01 pm CDT (19:01 UTC)
14,500 ft	250° at 28 kt	+13 kt	1 °C	107 kt	2 h 58 min	1:58 pm CDT (18:58 UTC)
16,500 ft	260° at 30 kt	+10 kt	-4 °C	110 kt	2 h 53 min	1:53 pm CDT (18:53 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	260° at 32 kt	+9 kt	-7 °C	111 kt	2 h 51 min	1:51 pm CDT (18:51 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	250° at 39 kt	+15 kt	-20 °C	105 kt	3 h 01 min	2:01 pm CDT (19:01 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	280° at 66 kt	−1 kt	-29 °C	121 kt	2 h 37 min	1:37 pm CDT (18:37 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	280° at 67 kt	−9 kt	-37 °C	129 kt	2 h 27 min	1:27 pm CDT (18:27 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	280° at 58 kt	−8 kt	-48 °C	128 kt	2 h 29 min	1:29 pm CDT (18:29 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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
DSM	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	230/34	230/32 20°	220/33 12°	240/35 5°	250/39 -7°	250/43 -21°	280/61 -31°	280/73 -37°	280/67 -47°
MKC	used from 99 nm out; 38 nm from the line	220/35	240/30 21°	240/27 13°	240/31 6°	260/31 -7°	250/43 -21°	270/70 -28°	280/72 -36°	280/59 -49°
SGF	used from 198 nm out; 50 nm from the line	220/23	240/29 16°	240/21 13°	240/15 7°	270/28 -7°	260/34 -18°	280/67 -29°	290/59 -37°	290/51 -49°

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
DSM Des Moines, IA	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet, a few clouds at 20,000 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 12 knots	10+ mi	none	957 ft	10:54 am CDT (15:54 UTC)
CNC Chariton, IA	30 nm out, 17 nm east of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 14 knots, gusting to 21	10+ mi	none	1,050 ft	15:55 UTC
LWD Lamoni, IA	59 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 15 knots, gusting to 22	10+ mi	none	1,130 ft	15:53 UTC
EZZ Cameron, MO	109 nm out, 18 nm west of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 18 knots, gusting to 24	10+ mi	none	1,040 ft	15:35 UTC
RCM Warrensburg, MO	168 nm out, 10 nm east of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 14 knots, gusting to 22	10+ mi	none	797 ft	15:55 UTC
BUM Butler, MO	198 nm out, 13 nm west of the line	no report just now				893 ft
JLN Joplin, MO	267 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 19 knots, gusting to 30	10+ mi	none	977 ft	15:53 UTC
EOS Neosho, MO	287 nm out, 7 nm west of the line	no report just now				1,254 ft
XNA Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, AR	destination	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 11 knots, gusting to 20	10+ mi	none	1,288 ft	10:53 am CDT (15:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,288 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At XNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:27 pm CDT (18:27 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for XNA

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for DSM, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
From Tue 12:00 am CDT (05:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 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 DSM 6:38 pm CDT (23:38 UTC), at XNA 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 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 upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · 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: Des Moines International, Northwest Arkansas Ntl Airport.