EL Paso International to Yakima Air Trml/Mcallister Field ELP → YKM
1,101 nautical miles (1,267 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 328°, about 320° magnetic at the departure end (variation 8E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 14-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:42 pm PDT (19:42 UTC). Right now ELP is VFR, wind calm; YKM is VFR, wind calm. 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
- SIGMET W22W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the south at 35 knots, until 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC). Over the route from 476 to 506 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 121055 MKCW WST 121055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 22W VALID UNTIL 1255Z AZ UT NV FROM 40W DTA-40WNW HVE-20SSE BCE-50NE LAS-70ENE BTY-40W DTA AREA TS MOV FROM 20035KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- SIGMET W21W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC). Near the route, 665 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 121055 MKCW WST 121055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 21W VALID UNTIL 1255Z UT ID NV FROM 40ENE TWF-20SSE PIH-40E BVL-20WNW BVL-40ENE TWF AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the route from 129 to 516 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 169 to 625 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, 228 nm along the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 347 to 1012 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 446 to 774 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 248 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 992 nm along 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
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (ELP, ABQ, FMN, BCE, SLC, BAM, BOI, LWS, YKM). 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 | 290° at 5 kt | +4 kt | 1 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 29 min | 1:58 pm PDT (20:58 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 5 kt | +4 kt | -1 °C | 116 kt | 9 h 29 min | 1:58 pm PDT (20:58 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 9 kt | −1 kt | 0 °C | 121 kt | 9 h 06 min | 1:35 pm PDT (20:35 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 17 kt | −6 kt | -1 °C | 126 kt | 8 h 44 min | 1:13 pm PDT (20:13 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 23 kt | −8 kt | -5 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 36 min | 1:05 pm PDT (20:05 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 210° at 28 kt | −10 kt | -8 °C | 130 kt | 8 h 28 min | 12:57 pm PDT (19:57 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 210° at 33 kt | −13 kt | -12 °C | 133 kt | 8 h 17 min | 12:46 pm PDT (19:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 210° at 37 kt | −14 kt | -14 °C | 134 kt | 8 h 13 min | 12:42 pm PDT (19:42 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 47 kt | −11 kt | -24 °C | 131 kt | 8 h 24 min | 12:53 pm PDT (19:53 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 50 kt | −8 kt | -31 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 36 min | 1:05 pm PDT (20:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 53 kt | −8 kt | -36 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 36 min | 1:05 pm PDT (20:05 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 52 kt | −8 kt | -44 °C | 128 kt | 8 h 36 min | 1:05 pm PDT (20:05 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 300/8 | 210/14 12° | 210/28 6° | 230/47 -6° | 230/56 -14° | 220/58 -27° | 230/60 -38° | 230/56 -50° | |
| ABQ | used from 99 nm out; 105 nm from the line | 220/19 9° | 220/35 3° | 230/50 -8° | 240/64 -19° | 230/83 -26° | 230/85 -36° | 230/80 -48° | ||
| FMN | used from 248 nm out; 87 nm from the line | 220/16 6° | 220/39 1° | 220/50 -10° | 230/67 -23° | 230/94 -29° | 230/102 -35° | 230/90 -46° | ||
| BCE | used from 347 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 200/32 -2° | 210/57 -15° | 220/71 -22° | 220/69 -30° | 220/64 -38° | 220/67 -44° | |||
| SLC | used from 545 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 200/16 | 210/23 4° | 220/34 -3° | 210/40 -16° | 220/66 -23° | 220/64 -31° | 220/57 -36° | 220/50 -43° | |
| BAM | used from 694 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 280/9 -2° | 260/18 -8° | 190/47 -19° | 200/50 -29° | 210/56 -29° | 220/54 -34° | 220/45 -42° | ||
| BOI | used from 744 nm out; 80 nm from the line | 320/11 1° | 280/8 -5° | 220/14 -11° | 200/60 -19° | 190/66 -31° | 210/46 -32° | 220/50 -33° | 220/43 -39° | |
| LWS | used from 942 nm out; 109 nm from the line | L/V | 340/5 -3° | L/V -6° | 040/7 -10° | 100/23 -22° | 180/30 -31° | 190/11 -34° | 200/11 -36° | 220/23 -40° |
| YKM | used from 992 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 360/6 | 360/11 -1° | 030/20 -7° | 040/21 -11° | 020/55 -18° | 010/84 -26° | 010/79 -40° | 010/45 -42° | 350/23 -42° |
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 | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,500 feet, a few clouds at 11,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 3,961 ft | 4:51 am MDT (10:51 UTC) |
| LRU Las Cruces, NM | 40 nm out, 8 nm southwest of the line | VFR | from the west-northwest (300°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 4,456 ft | 11:15 UTC |
| XNI Zuni, NM | 238 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,500 feet | from the north-northeast (030°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 6,371 ft | 11:15 UTC |
| RIF Richfield, UT | 506 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 400 feet, a broken layer at 4,200 feet, overcast at 6,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the southwest (230°) at 10 knots, gusting to 21 | 10+ mi | 4,200 ft | 5,318 ft | 11:14 UTC |
| ENV Wendover, UT | 655 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 8,000 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 13 knots, gusting to 17 | 10+ mi | none | 4,236 ft | 10:56 UTC |
| LWL Wells, NV | 694 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 5,769 ft | ||||
| EUL Caldwell, ID | 863 nm out, 14 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the west (270°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,431 ft | 10:56 UTC |
| ONO Ontario, OR | 893 nm out, 16 nm east of the line | VFR | from the west (270°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,193 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| PDT Pendleton, OR | 1012 nm out, 20 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,000 feet, overcast at 7,500 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 6,000 ft | 1,494 ft | 10:53 UTC |
| YKM Yakima, WA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 9,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | 9,000 ft | 1,098 ft | 3:53 am PDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,371 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At YKM when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:42 pm PDT (19:42 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for YKM
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 15,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for ELP, the departure
- From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 9,000 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm MDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 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 ELP 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC), at YKM 6:19 pm PDT (01:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:49 pm PDT (01:49 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, Yakima Air Trml/Mcallister Field.
