EL Paso International to Seattle Paine Field International ELP → PAE
1,208 nautical miles (1,390 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 328°, about 320° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 9 h 05 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 13-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:40 am PDT (09:40 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 37 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
- SIGMET W69W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm MDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 10 to 230 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 69W VALID UNTIL 0155Z TX NM AZ FROM 50ENE PGS-60SE ABQ-20ENE ELP-70SSW SSO-50SE BZA-50ENE PGS AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- SIGMET W68W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm MDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 240 to 260 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 68W VALID UNTIL 0155Z CO NM AZ UT FROM 30W CHE-20NNW TBE-60SE ABQ-40N SJN-30SW MTU-30W CHE AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- SIGMET W71W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the south at 40 knots, until 7:55 pm MDT (01:55 UTC). Over the route from 529 to 579 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 112355 MKCW WST 112355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 71W VALID UNTIL 0155Z WY UT ID FROM 40S DBS-40WNW BPI-30WSW MTU-30SSW DTA-30SE TWF-40S DBS AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 20040KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the route from 10 to 200 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 50 to 589 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 100 to 1018 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 309 to 359 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 329 to 859 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 379 to 849 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground). Near the route, 439 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 449 to 489 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 14,000 ft. Over the route from 938 to 1078 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 25,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 0 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 ELP.
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 10 forecast points nearest it (ELP, ABQ, FMN, BCE, SLC, BAM, BOI, LWS, 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 | 340° at 7 kt | +6 kt | 4 °C | 114 kt | 10 h 36 min | 4:11 am PDT (11:11 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 6 kt | +5 kt | 1 °C | 115 kt | 10 h 30 min | 4:05 am PDT (11:05 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 8 kt | −3 kt | 2 °C | 123 kt | 9 h 49 min | 3:24 am PDT (10:24 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 19 kt | −8 kt | 0 °C | 128 kt | 9 h 26 min | 3:01 am PDT (10:01 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | −9 kt | -4 °C | 129 kt | 9 h 22 min | 2:57 am PDT (09:57 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 25 kt | −11 kt | -7 °C | 131 kt | 9 h 13 min | 2:48 am PDT (09:48 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 27 kt | −12 kt | -11 °C | 132 kt | 9 h 09 min | 2:44 am PDT (09:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 29 kt | −13 kt | -14 °C | 133 kt | 9 h 05 min | 2:40 am PDT (09:40 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 28 kt | −6 kt | -24 °C | 126 kt | 9 h 35 min | 3:10 am PDT (10:10 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 45 kt | −7 kt | -31 °C | 127 kt | 9 h 31 min | 3:06 am PDT (10:06 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 50 kt | −4 kt | -36 °C | 124 kt | 9 h 45 min | 3:20 am PDT (10:20 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 49 kt | 0 | -44 °C | 120 kt | 10 h 04 min | 3:39 am PDT (10:39 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/15 | 200/16 15° | 200/17 6° | 220/40 -6° | 240/53 -16° | 230/62 -27° | 240/63 -38° | 250/59 -49° | |
| ABQ | used from 100 nm out; 104 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° | ||
| FMN | used from 250 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 220/25 13° | 220/28 4° | 210/51 -9° | 220/59 -21° | 230/78 -30° | 230/77 -36° | 230/66 -46° | ||
| BCE | used from 349 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 210/47 0° | 200/50 -12° | 220/31 -23° | 220/56 -26° | 220/58 -35° | 230/58 -45° | |||
| SLC | used from 549 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 280/8 | 210/39 5° | 210/52 -1° | 200/50 -11° | 200/56 -23° | 220/61 -28° | 230/73 -37° | 230/73 -45° | |
| BAM | used from 699 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 270/8 4° | 230/27 -4° | 220/49 -18° | 210/52 -26° | 220/77 -29° | 220/71 -33° | 220/63 -43° | ||
| BOI | used from 749 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 330/14 4° | 230/5 -2° | 220/20 -7° | 210/37 -20° | 200/59 -26° | 200/67 -34° | 210/73 -35° | 220/62 -41° | |
| LWS | used from 948 nm out; 106 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 998 nm out; 78 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 1148 nm out; 25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELP El Paso, TX | departure | no report just now | 3,961 ft | ||||
| LRU Las Cruces, NM | 40 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 4,456 ft | ||||
| XNI Zuni, NM | 230 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 6,371 ft | ||||
| RQE Window Rock, AZ | 270 nm out, 13 nm east of the line | no report just now | 6,742 ft | ||||
| RIF Richfield, UT | 499 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,318 ft | ||||
| ENV Wendover, UT | 649 nm out, 3 nm west of the line | no report just now | 4,236 ft | ||||
| BOI Boise, ID | 849 nm out, 25 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,871 ft | ||||
| PDT Pendleton, OR | 1018 nm out, 19 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,494 ft | ||||
| YKM Yakima, WA | 1098 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,098 ft | ||||
| PAE Everett, WA | destination | no report just now | 606 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,742 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PAE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:40 am PDT (09:40 UTC)
PAE 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 ELP 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC), at PAE 6:26 pm PDT (01:26 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PAE is before sunrise there (7:23 am PDT (14:23 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: EL Paso International, Seattle Paine Field International.
