William P Hobby Airport to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport HOU → MSP
920 nautical miles (1,059 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 006°, about 003° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 31 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 21-knot tailwind), arriving about 2:51 am CDT (07:51 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 7 knots; MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 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: 120 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
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (HOU, CLL, SHV, FSM, SGF, MKC, DSM, MCW, 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 | 200° at 22 kt | −21 kt | 141 kt | 6 h 31 min | 2:51 am CDT (07:51 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −19 kt | 139 kt | 6 h 37 min | 2:57 am CDT (07:57 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | −15 kt | 14 °C | 135 kt | 6 h 49 min | 3:09 am CDT (08:09 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 20 kt | −11 kt | 11 °C | 131 kt | 7 h 01 min | 3:21 am CDT (08:21 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 17 kt | −6 kt | 8 °C | 126 kt | 7 h 18 min | 3:38 am CDT (08:38 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 17 kt | −5 kt | 3 °C | 125 kt | 7 h 22 min | 3:42 am CDT (08:42 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 260° at 18 kt | −4 kt | -1 °C | 124 kt | 7 h 25 min | 3:45 am CDT (08:45 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 20 kt | −3 kt | -5 °C | 123 kt | 7 h 29 min | 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 20 kt | −3 kt | -6 °C | 123 kt | 7 h 29 min | 3:49 am CDT (08:49 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 23 kt | −2 kt | -17 °C | 122 kt | 7 h 32 min | 3:52 am CDT (08:52 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 290° at 33 kt | +5 kt | -31 °C | 115 kt | 8 h | 4:20 am CDT (09:20 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 38 kt | +7 kt | -41 °C | 113 kt | 8 h 08 min | 4:28 am CDT (09:28 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 48 kt | +13 kt | -53 °C | 107 kt | 8 h 36 min | 4:56 am CDT (09:56 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOU | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 160/18 | 160/14 17° | 180/19 12° | 190/11 8° | 260/12 -4° | 260/14 -13° | 310/26 -30° | 310/30 -40° | 320/21 -52° |
| CLL | used from 50 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 160/18 | 190/18 16° | 200/19 12° | 220/14 7° | 260/18 -5° | 250/20 -13° | 290/29 -29° | 290/31 -40° | 300/22 -53° |
| SHV | used from 100 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 190/11 | 230/19 17° | 230/26 12° | 260/15 7° | 280/16 -4° | 300/17 -15° | 300/34 -30° | 300/31 -41° | 310/42 -52° |
| FSM | used from 250 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 200/18 | 210/19 15° | 230/22 13° | 250/18 7° | 270/20 -5° | 280/24 -16° | 280/35 -30° | 290/37 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| SGF | used from 400 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 210/21 | 210/21 16° | 240/28 12° | 260/24 7° | 280/21 -6° | 280/26 -18° | 290/38 -31° | 290/37 -41° | 300/49 -52° |
| MKC | used from 500 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 200/28 | 220/30 16° | 270/20 11° | 280/22 7° | 260/27 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 280/38 -32° | 270/38 -40° | 280/50 -52° |
| DSM | used from 650 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| MCW | used from 750 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 200/35 | 240/33 18° | 250/20 10° | 260/10 6° | 270/18 -8° | 260/28 -19° | 280/30 -34° | 290/49 -43° | 280/70 -54° |
| MSP | used from 850 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 200/28 | 240/30 19° | 240/24 12° | 240/17 5° | 270/24 -10° | 270/33 -20° | 280/48 -35° | 290/55 -45° | 280/84 -54° |
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: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (140°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 46 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
| IAH Houston, TX | 20 nm out, 5 nm west of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the southeast (130°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 95 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| GGG Longview, TX | 170 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 365 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| OSA Mount Pleasant, TX | 210 nm out, 5 nm west of the line | marginal VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 1,400 feet, overcast at 2,300 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 2,300 ft | 364 ft | 15:10 UTC |
| FSM Fort Smith, AR | 340 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 469 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| JLN Joplin, MO | 450 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 977 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| LLU Lamar, MO | 470 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | no report just now | 1,009 ft | ||||
| MKC Kansas City, MO | 570 nm out, 23 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 11 knots, gusting to 19 | 10+ mi | none | 756 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 720 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 20,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 20,000 ft | 957 ft | 00:54 UTC |
| AMW Ames, IA | 750 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 955 ft | 00:53 UTC |
| AEL Albert Lea, MN | 850 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 32,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,261 ft | 01:15 UTC |
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet | from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 841 ft | 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,261 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, 2:51 am CDT (07:51 UTC)
Wind from the south at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MSP
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 7 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
The forecast for HOU, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 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
- 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 HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 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: William P Hobby Airport, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.