Grand Junction Regional to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport GJT → MSP
764 nautical miles (879 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 058°, about 049° magnetic at the departure end (variation 9E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 52-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:09 am CDT (07:09 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: 2 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 8W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 35,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm MDT (03:55 UTC). Near the route, 179 nm along the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO MT WY FROM 40N SHR-60WNW RAP-20ENE CYS-30SW CYS-10NW BOY-40N SHR AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL350.
- 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 first 159 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Near the route, at the departure end.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 298 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 258 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 109 to 149 nm out.
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 GJT.
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 02:00–09:00 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 6 forecast points nearest it (GJT, DEN, BFF, ONL, FSD, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 210° at 26 kt | −22 kt | 20 °C | 142 kt | 5 h 23 min | 3:05 am CDT (08:05 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | −26 kt | 14 °C | 146 kt | 5 h 14 min | 2:56 am CDT (07:56 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | −27 kt | 12 °C | 147 kt | 5 h 12 min | 2:54 am CDT (07:54 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | −28 kt | 7 °C | 148 kt | 5 h 10 min | 2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −28 kt | 2 °C | 148 kt | 5 h 10 min | 2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 30 kt | −30 kt | -3 °C | 150 kt | 5 h 06 min | 2:48 am CDT (07:48 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 31 kt | −31 kt | -8 °C | 151 kt | 5 h 04 min | 2:46 am CDT (07:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 31 kt | −31 kt | -9 °C | 151 kt | 5 h 04 min | 2:46 am CDT (07:46 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 38 kt | −38 kt | -21 °C | 158 kt | 4 h 50 min | 2:32 am CDT (07:32 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 44 kt | −44 kt | -33 °C | 164 kt | 4 h 40 min | 2:22 am CDT (07:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 50 kt | −50 kt | -38 °C | 170 kt | 4 h 30 min | 2:12 am CDT (07:12 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 52 kt | −52 kt | -47 °C | 172 kt | 4 h 27 min | 2:09 am CDT (07:09 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GJT | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| DEN | used from 99 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| BFF | used from 198 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| ONL | used from 397 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| FSD | used from 546 nm out; 27 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| MSP | used from 694 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GJT Grand Junction, CO | departure | no report just now | 4,861 ft | ||||
| RIL Rifle, CO | 40 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 5,536 ft | ||||
| EGE Eagle, CO | 79 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,547 ft | ||||
| FNL Fort Collins/Loveland, CO | 179 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,020 ft | ||||
| IBM Kimball, NE | 258 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,925 ft | ||||
| OKS Oshkosh, NE | 317 nm out, 22 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,394 ft | ||||
| ANW Ainsworth, NE | 436 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,588 ft | ||||
| AGZ Wagner, SD | 516 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,477 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 595 nm out, 13 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| PQN Pipestone, MN | 625 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,736 ft | ||||
| GYL Glencoe, MN | 724 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | no report just now | 992 ft | ||||
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | destination | no report just now | 841 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,547 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, 2:09 am CDT (07:09 UTC)
MSP has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at GJT 6:40 pm MDT (00:40 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
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 Junction Regional, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.