Grand Forks International to Montrose Regional GFK → MTJ
734 nautical miles (845 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 223°, about 217° magnetic at the departure end (variation 6E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 40 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 10-knot headwind), arriving about 2:40 pm MDT (20:40 UTC). 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
- SIGMET C20C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 37,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 am CDT (15:55 UTC). Over the route from 60 to 198 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 121355 MKCC WST 121355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 20C VALID UNTIL 1555Z SD ND FROM 80W GFK-40WNW FAR-40W ABR-50ENE DPR-30S BIS-80W GFK AREA TS MOV FROM 21040KT. TOPS TO FL370.
- 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 466 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the first 109 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the last 288 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 228 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 149 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
Not fetched just now.
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 7 forecast points nearest it (GFK, ABR, PIR, RAP, BFF, DEN, GJT). 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 | 260° at 13 kt | +10 kt | 16 °C | 110 kt | 6 h 40 min | 2:40 pm MDT (20:40 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +15 kt | 14 °C | 105 kt | 6 h 59 min | 2:59 pm MDT (20:59 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | +21 kt | 11 °C | 99 kt | 7 h 25 min | 3:25 pm MDT (21:25 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | +25 kt | 7 °C | 95 kt | 7 h 44 min | 3:44 pm MDT (21:44 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 30 kt | +29 kt | 3 °C | 91 kt | 8 h 04 min | 4:04 pm MDT (22:04 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 33 kt | +33 kt | -2 °C | 87 kt | 8 h 26 min | 4:26 pm MDT (22:26 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 36 kt | +36 kt | -7 °C | 84 kt | 8 h 44 min | 4:44 pm MDT (22:44 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 38 kt | +39 kt | -10 °C | 81 kt | 9 h 04 min | 5:04 pm MDT (23:04 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 46 kt | +46 kt | -22 °C | 74 kt | 9 h 55 min | 5:55 pm MDT (23:55 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 52 kt | +50 kt | -33 °C | 70 kt | 10 h 29 min | 6:29 pm MDT (00:29 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 57 kt | +54 kt | -38 °C | 66 kt | 11 h 07 min | 7:07 pm MDT (01:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 61 kt | +55 kt | -46 °C | 65 kt | 11 h 18 min | 7:18 pm MDT (01:18 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° |
| ABR | used from 99 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 080/12 | 210/12 17° | 220/22 12° | 230/26 5° | 220/28 -10° | 230/41 -21° | 250/36 -36° | 260/47 -39° | 260/63 -47° |
| PIR | used from 198 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| RAP | used from 298 nm out; 34 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 397 nm out; 47 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| DEN | used from 546 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| GJT | used from 645 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 220/26 6° | 230/39 0° | 220/55 -13° | 230/60 -23° | 230/78 -31° | 230/80 -35° | 230/74 -44° |
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 | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| BAC Valley City, ND | 69 nm out, 16 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,401 ft | ||||
| JMS Jamestown, ND | 89 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,499 ft | ||||
| MBG Mobridge, SD | 198 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,716 ft | ||||
| PHP Philip, SD | 298 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,209 ft | ||||
| CDR Chadron, NE | 397 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,297 ft | ||||
| GUR Guernsey, WY | 466 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,401 ft | ||||
| CYS Cheyenne, WY | 526 nm out, 18 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,159 ft | ||||
| EGE Eagle, CO | 655 nm out, 4 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,547 ft | ||||
| ASE Aspen, CO | 675 nm out, 14 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,837 ft | ||||
| MTJ Montrose, CO | destination | no report just now | 5,758 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,837 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MTJ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:40 pm MDT (20:40 UTC)
MTJ has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 3 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at GFK 6:46 pm CDT (23:46 UTC), at MTJ 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm MDT (01:03 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: Grand Forks International, Montrose Regional.