Plan a flight · Sun 10:12 pm CDT (03:12 UTC)

William P Hobby Airport to St. Louis Downtown Airport HOU → CPS

593 nautical miles (682 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 024°, about 021° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 18 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 18-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:30 am CDT (07:30 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots; CPS 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: 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

No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.

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 HOU.

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

B39M at 27,000 ft, 12 nm west, 7:42 pm CDT (00:42 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. At the departure end, 12 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IAH UA /OV IH340035/TM 0042/FL270/TP B39M/TB LT CHOP DURC/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through IAH
Where
IH340035
Time
00:42 UTC
Height
at 27,000 ft
Aircraft
B39M
Turbulence
lt chop during the climb
Remarks
zhu
C750 at 43,000 ft, 7 nm southeast, 7:50 pm CDT (00:50 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence above 43,000 ft, remarks: zme. 366 nm along the route, 7 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
LIT UA /OV LIT360025/TM 0050/FL430/TP C750/TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOP 430/RM ZME
```
Report
a routine report filed through LIT
Where
25 nm north (360°) of LIT
Time
00:50 UTC
Height
at 43,000 ft
Aircraft
C750
Turbulence
continuous light to moderate chop at 43,000 ft
Remarks
zme

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 5 forecast points nearest it (HOU, SHV, LIT, CGI, STL). 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	210° at 18 kt	−18 kt		138 kt	4 h 18 min	2:30 am CDT (07:30 UTC)
5,500 ft	220° at 17 kt	−16 kt		136 kt	4 h 22 min	2:34 am CDT (07:34 UTC)
7,500 ft	230° at 17 kt	−16 kt	14 °C	136 kt	4 h 22 min	2:34 am CDT (07:34 UTC)
9,500 ft	240° at 18 kt	−14 kt	11 °C	134 kt	4 h 26 min	2:38 am CDT (07:38 UTC)
11,500 ft	260° at 13 kt	−8 kt	8 °C	128 kt	4 h 38 min	2:50 am CDT (07:50 UTC)
13,500 ft	260° at 13 kt	−7 kt	4 °C	127 kt	4 h 40 min	2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC)
15,500 ft	270° at 13 kt	−7 kt	0 °C	127 kt	4 h 40 min	2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC)
17,500 ft	270° at 14 kt	−7 kt	-4 °C	127 kt	4 h 40 min	2:52 am CDT (07:52 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	270° at 14 kt	−6 kt	-5 °C	126 kt	4 h 42 min	2:54 am CDT (07:54 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	270° at 20 kt	−8 kt	-16 °C	128 kt	4 h 38 min	2:50 am CDT (07:50 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	300° at 32 kt	+1 kt	-30 °C	119 kt	4 h 59 min	3:11 am CDT (08:11 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	300° at 38 kt	+3 kt	-40 °C	117 kt	5 h 04 min	3:16 am CDT (08:16 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	300° at 38 kt	+5 kt	-52 °C	115 kt	5 h 09 min	3:21 am CDT (08:21 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
HOU	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	160/22	150/27 19°	180/16 14°	250/7 9°	270/10 -5°	270/16 -13°	310/23 -29°	310/26 -40°	330/20 -52°
SHV	used from 99 nm out; 60 nm from the line	200/18	230/24 18°	230/24 12°	240/14 8°	260/12 -4°	240/11 -15°	300/31 -29°	300/32 -40°	300/36 -52°
LIT	used from 247 nm out; 71 nm from the line	220/21	230/17 16°	250/24 12°	260/15 7°	260/13 -5°	280/25 -16°	290/35 -30°	300/42 -40°	300/40 -52°
CGI	used from 445 nm out; 89 nm from the line	240/20	270/15 15°	280/15 11°	300/13 6°	290/20 -6°	280/24 -18°	300/34 -32°	300/47 -41°	310/49 -51°
STL	used from 544 nm out; 33 nm from the line	250/24	250/24 16°	260/23 9°	270/16 6°	260/25 -6°	270/29 -19°	290/34 -33°	290/48 -41°	290/54 -51°

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
HOU Houston, TX	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	from the southeast (140°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	46 ft	9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC)
IAH Houston, TX	20 nm out, 12 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	95 ft	02:53 UTC
LFK Lufkin, TX	99 nm out, 14 nm west of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	295 ft	02:53 UTC
OCH Nacogdoches, TX	119 nm out, 21 nm west of the line	reported, no category	from the south (170°) at 7 knots		none	343 ft	02:56 UTC
DTN Shreveport, LA	188 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	179 ft	02:53 UTC
ADF Arkadelphia, AR	287 nm out, 9 nm northwest of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	181 ft	02:55 UTC
LIT Little Rock, AR	346 nm out, 13 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet	from the west (270°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	266 ft	02:53 UTC
HBZ Heber Springs, AR	385 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line	no report just now				632 ft
CVK Ash Flat, AR	435 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line	no report just now				717 ft
PYN Piedmont, MO	504 nm out, 15 nm southeast of the line	no report just now				466 ft
FAM Farmington, MO	544 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	945 ft	20:07 UTC
CPS Cahokia/St Louis, IL	destination	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	412 ft	9:53 pm CDT (02:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 945 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At CPS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:30 am CDT (07:30 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR

The whole forecast for CPS

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, mist, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
At times between Mon 3:00 am CDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): visibility 1 mile, mist
From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet

The forecast for HOU, the departure

From Sun 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the east-southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
30% chance between Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC) and 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): light rain showers
From Mon 5:00 pm CDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 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 HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC), at CPS 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:53 pm CDT (23:53 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at CPS is before sunrise there (7:06 am CDT (12:06 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 southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · 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: William P Hobby Airport, St. Louis Downtown Airport.