Plan a flight · Mon 4:04 am CDT (09:04 UTC)

Grand Forks International to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport GFK → MSP

246 nautical miles (283 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 137°, about 131° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 43-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:35 am CDT (10:35 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now GFK is low IFR, wind from the north (350°) at 13 knots; MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 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: 2,297 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 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 148 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 GFK.

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

B39M at 35,000 ft, 39 nm southwest, 3:30 am CDT (08:30 UTC): light chop turbulence above 35,000 ft. 59 nm along the route, 39 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
FAR UA /OV FAR/TM 0830/FL350/TP B39M/TB CONS LGT CHOP 350
```
Report
a routine report filed through FAR
Where
over FAR
Time
08:30 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
B39M
Turbulence
continuous light chop at 35,000 ft

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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd 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 (GFK, AXN, MSP). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

Height	Average wind	Head- or tailwind	Temperature	Ground speed	Time en route	Arrival
3,500 ft	100° at 5 kt	+4 kt		116 kt	2 h 07 min	6:11 am CDT (11:11 UTC)
5,500 ft	250° at 5 kt	−2 kt		122 kt	2 h 01 min	6:05 am CDT (11:05 UTC)
7,500 ft	250° at 14 kt	−5 kt	12 °C	125 kt	1 h 58 min	6:02 am CDT (11:02 UTC)
9,500 ft	250° at 22 kt	−8 kt	9 °C	128 kt	1 h 55 min	5:59 am CDT (10:59 UTC)
11,500 ft	250° at 30 kt	−11 kt	5 °C	131 kt	1 h 53 min	5:57 am CDT (10:57 UTC)
13,500 ft	250° at 33 kt	−14 kt	1 °C	134 kt	1 h 50 min	5:54 am CDT (10:54 UTC)
15,500 ft	260° at 35 kt	−17 kt	-4 °C	137 kt	1 h 48 min	5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC)
17,500 ft	260° at 36 kt	−20 kt	-9 °C	140 kt	1 h 45 min	5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	260° at 37 kt	−21 kt	-10 °C	141 kt	1 h 45 min	5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	260° at 37 kt	−19 kt	-22 °C	139 kt	1 h 46 min	5:50 am CDT (10:50 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	260° at 33 kt	−18 kt	-38 °C	138 kt	1 h 47 min	5:51 am CDT (10:51 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	270° at 49 kt	−32 kt	-42 °C	152 kt	1 h 37 min	5:41 am CDT (10:41 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	270° at 62 kt	−43 kt	-48 °C	163 kt	1 h 31 min	5:35 am CDT (10:35 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
GFK	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	080/18	L/V 11°	260/22 7°	250/48 3°	260/51 -11°	250/44 -22°	260/34 -38°	260/53 -44°	270/66 -49°
AXN	used from 98 nm out; 35 nm from the line	110/6	260/10 16°	240/17 12°	250/20 5°	260/29 -10°	260/35 -22°	260/29 -38°	270/48 -41°	270/61 -48°
MSP	used from 197 nm out; 25 nm from the line	250/12	250/17 17°	240/26 12°	250/26 5°	280/26 -9°	280/32 -22°	270/37 -38°	280/47 -41°	280/55 -48°

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
GFK Grand Forks, ND	departure	low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: mist	from the north (350°) at 13 knots	5 mi	400 ft	845 ft	3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC)
CKN Crookston, MN	20 nm out, 12 nm northeast of the line	IFR Sky: a broken layer at 900 feet, overcast at 1,600 feet	from the north-northeast (030°) at 5 knots, gusting to 8	10+ mi	900 ft	896 ft	08:55 UTC
ADC Wadena, MN	118 nm out, 3 nm south of the line	marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,000 feet	from the north-northeast (030°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	1,000 ft	1,368 ft	08:55 UTC
SAZ Staples, MN	138 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line	VFR	from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	1,287 ft	08:55 UTC
STC St Cloud, MN	197 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	1,030 ft	08:53 UTC
CFE Buffalo, MN	217 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 feet, a few clouds at 3,500 feet, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet	calm	10+ mi	none	967 ft	08:55 UTC
MSP Minneapolis, MN	destination	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 18,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	18,000 ft	841 ft	3:53 am CDT (08:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,368 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MSP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:35 am CDT (10:35 UTC)

Wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MSP

From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet
From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet

The forecast for GFK, the departure

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

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

6/4348 GRAND FORKS AFB, ND, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 13 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZMP
6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 7 nm from the route, 227 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP

Daylight

Sunset at GFK 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC), at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm CDT (00:03 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSP is before sunrise there (7:24 am CDT (12:24 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 northern Rockies · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the upper 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: Grand Forks International, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.