Joe Foss Field to Reno/Tahoe International FSD → RNO
1,060 nautical miles (1,219 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 265°, about 260° magnetic at the departure end (variation 5E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 3:09 am PDT (10:09 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: 6 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 3W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 31,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 370 to 490 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 3W VALID UNTIL 0255Z MT WY FROM 10WSW MLS-70E DDY-20N LAR-50E BPI-30NE BIL-10WSW MLS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL310.
- SIGMET 5W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 33,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC). Over the route from 870 to 930 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 5W VALID UNTIL 0255Z NV FROM 10NNE BAM-40WSW BVL-60SW ELY-10SE OAL-30WNW OAL-10NNE BAM AREA TS MOV FROM 23020KT. TOPS TO FL330.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 260 to 900 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 380 to 720 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 410 to 860 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). Over the route from 430 to 690 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Near the route, 510 nm along the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 560 to 990 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). Near the route, 680 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 FSD.
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 (FSD, ONL, PIR, RAP, BFF, LND, RKS, SLC, BAM, RNO). 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 | 170° at 7 kt | −1 kt | 15 °C | 121 kt | 8 h 46 min | 3:09 am PDT (10:09 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 190° at 9 kt | +2 kt | 15 °C | 118 kt | 8 h 59 min | 3:22 am PDT (10:22 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 200° at 22 kt | +12 kt | 9 °C | 108 kt | 9 h 49 min | 4:12 am PDT (11:12 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 210° at 29 kt | +20 kt | 5 °C | 100 kt | 10 h 36 min | 4:59 am PDT (11:59 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 210° at 36 kt | +27 kt | 1 °C | 93 kt | 11 h 24 min | 5:47 am PDT (12:47 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 220° at 38 kt | +29 kt | -4 °C | 91 kt | 11 h 39 min | 6:02 am PDT (13:02 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 40 kt | +31 kt | -8 °C | 89 kt | 11 h 55 min | 6:18 am PDT (13:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 42 kt | +33 kt | -11 °C | 87 kt | 12 h 11 min | 6:34 am PDT (13:34 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 44 kt | +35 kt | -22 °C | 85 kt | 12 h 28 min | 6:51 am PDT (13:51 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 53 kt | +45 kt | -32 °C | 75 kt | 14 h 08 min | 8:31 am PDT (15:31 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 61 kt | +56 kt | -38 °C | 64 kt | 16 h 34 min | 10:57 am PDT (17:57 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 62 kt | +60 kt | -46 °C | 60 kt | 17 h 40 min | 12:03 pm PDT (19:03 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/16 | 220/20 17° | 240/26 13° | 230/19 6° | 240/25 -9° | 240/28 -20° | 250/39 -33° | 250/44 -43° | 260/63 -52° |
| ONL | used from 50 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 200/20 17° | 230/26 14° | 240/21 7° | 250/27 -9° | 260/32 -19° | 240/44 -34° | 240/56 -41° | 250/62 -51° | |
| PIR | used from 150 nm out; 72 nm from the line | L/V 17° | 230/13 12° | 220/22 6° | 250/31 -9° | 250/34 -21° | 240/50 -35° | 230/61 -43° | 240/62 -51° | |
| RAP | used from 200 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 120/15 12° | 180/22 11° | 220/26 5° | 230/35 -9° | 240/40 -22° | 240/50 -37° | 240/51 -41° | 240/47 -47° | |
| BFF | used from 300 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 120/24 | 180/31 13° | 210/26 7° | 230/25 -7° | 240/41 -20° | 230/52 -36° | 250/56 -41° | 260/57 -45° | |
| LND | used from 400 nm out; 108 nm from the line | 180/33 10° | 190/50 3° | 210/59 -9° | 200/50 -21° | 190/41 -34° | 230/55 -39° | 240/65 -47° | ||
| RKS | used from 500 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 190/43 | 210/65 3° | 210/57 -9° | 210/56 -21° | 210/47 -33° | 230/63 -37° | 240/77 -46° | ||
| SLC | used from 650 nm out; 44 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 800 nm out; 89 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° | ||
| RNO | used from 1000 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 320/7 | 260/13 1° | 230/21 -7° | 210/38 -17° | 220/43 -26° | 230/54 -29° | 230/59 -32° | 230/54 -41° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | departure | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| MHE Mitchell, SD | 50 nm out, 18 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,304 ft | ||||
| SUO Rosebud, SD | 180 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,724 ft | ||||
| IEN Pine Ridge, SD | 250 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 3,332 ft | ||||
| LSK Lusk, WY | 340 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,966 ft | ||||
| EMM Kemmerer, WY | 620 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | no report just now | 7,288 ft | ||||
| OGD Ogden, UT | 690 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,472 ft | ||||
| ENV Wendover, UT | 790 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,236 ft | ||||
| EKO Elko, NV | 860 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,139 ft | ||||
| LOL Lovelock, NV | 1000 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,907 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | destination | no report just now | 4,414 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,288 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RNO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:09 am PDT (10:09 UTC)
RNO 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 FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC), at RNO 6:24 pm PDT (01:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:51 pm PDT (01:51 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RNO is before sunrise there (7:05 am PDT (14:05 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: Joe Foss Field, Reno/Tahoe International.