Idaho Falls Regional to Portland International IDA → PDX
467 nautical miles (537 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 289°, about 277° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 52 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 1-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:22 pm PDT (06:22 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now IDA is IFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots; PDX is VFR, wind from the east (100°) at 7 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: 238 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 139 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the first 169 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the first 189 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 348 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 16,000 ft. Over the route from 258 to 387 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 129 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 IDA.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- EPIC at 31,000 ft, 49 nm northwest, 7:38 pm MDT (01:38 UTC): moderate turbulence from 30,000 ft to 31,000 ft, remarks: zse. At the destination end, 49 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
AST UA /OV AST070020/TM 0138/FL310/TP EPIC/TB MOD 310-300/RM ZSE
- Report
- a routine report filed through AST
- Where
- 20 nm east (070°) of AST
- Time
- 01:38 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- EPIC
- Turbulence
- moderate from 31,000 ft to 30,000 ft
- Remarks
- zse
- B739 at 10,000 ft, 30 nm west, 7:19 pm MDT (01:19 UTC): moderate rime icing from 10,000 ft to 12,000 ft, -12 °C. At the destination end, 30 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
PDX UA /OV 30W PDX/TM 0119/FL100/TP B739/TA M12/IC MOD RIME 120-100
- Report
- a routine report filed through PDX
- Where
- 30W pdx
- Time
- 01:19 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B739
- Temperature
- −12 °C
- Icing
- moderate rime from 12,000 ft to 10,000 ft
- PC12 at 15,000 ft, 47 nm east, 5:47 pm MDT (23:47 UTC): light rime icing above 15,000 ft. At the departure end, 47 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
JAC UA /OV JAC200025/TM 2347/FL150/TP PC12/IC LGT RIME 150 /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through JAC
- Where
- 25 nm south (200°) of JAC
- Time
- 23:47 UTC
- Height
- at 15,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Icing
- light rime at 15,000 ft zlc
- PC12 at 6,000 ft, 31 nm south, 7:09 pm MDT (01:09 UTC): scattered clouds up to 6,000 ft, remarks: multiple scattered layers during the descent runway 31. 89 nm along the route, 31 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
SUN UA /OV KSUN/TM 0109/FL060/TP PC12/SK SCT-TOP060/WX FV05SM/RM MULTIPLE SCT LAYERS DURD RY31
- Report
- a routine report filed through SUN
- Where
- over KSUN
- Time
- 01:09 UTC
- Height
- at 6,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Sky
- scattered clouds, tops 6,000 ft
- Weather
- flight visibility 5 miles
- Remarks
- multiple scattered layers during the descent runway 31
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (PIH, BOI, LWS, RDM, PDX). 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 | 020° at 5 kt | −1 kt | 1 °C | 121 kt | 3 h 52 min | 11:22 pm PDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 020° at 6 kt | −1 kt | -1 °C | 121 kt | 3 h 52 min | 11:22 pm PDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 010° at 7 kt | +1 kt | -5 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 55 min | 11:25 pm PDT (06:25 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 350° at 6 kt | +2 kt | -6 °C | 118 kt | 3 h 57 min | 11:27 pm PDT (06:27 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 320° at 4 kt | +3 kt | -9 °C | 117 kt | 3 h 59 min | 11:29 pm PDT (06:29 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 270° at 5 kt | +4 kt | -13 °C | 116 kt | 4 h 02 min | 11:32 pm PDT (06:32 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 8 kt | +5 kt | -16 °C | 115 kt | 4 h 04 min | 11:34 pm PDT (06:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 11 kt | +6 kt | -18 °C | 114 kt | 4 h 06 min | 11:36 pm PDT (06:36 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 15 kt | +8 kt | -27 °C | 112 kt | 4 h 10 min | 11:40 pm PDT (06:40 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 22 kt | +18 kt | -34 °C | 102 kt | 4 h 35 min | 12:05 am PDT (07:05 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 27 kt | +19 kt | -36 °C | 101 kt | 4 h 37 min | 12:07 am PDT (07:07 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 33 kt | +20 kt | -40 °C | 100 kt | 4 h 40 min | 12:10 am PDT (07:10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIH | used from 0 nm out; 44 nm from the line | L/V | 240/13 1° | 240/15 -3° | 210/42 -15° | 200/70 -25° | 220/74 -29° | 220/71 -36° | 220/62 -43° | |
| BOI | used from 99 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 300/7 2° | 280/5 -4° | 210/16 -9° | 210/60 -20° | 210/75 -29° | 210/63 -32° | 220/64 -32° | 220/54 -39° | |
| LWS | used from 248 nm out; 103 nm from the line | 070/10 | 080/12 -2° | 030/12 -6° | 080/7 -10° | 170/34 -21° | 160/46 -32° | 200/33 -35° | 220/22 -35° | 230/18 -38° |
| RDM | used from 298 nm out; 93 nm from the line | 040/17 -1° | 030/31 -8° | 010/29 -12° | 010/61 -19° | 360/95 -25° | 360/82 -36° | 360/40 -37° | 310/19 -40° | |
| PDX | used from 397 nm out; 45 nm from the line | L/V | 030/7 1° | 020/12 -6° | 020/29 -9° | 010/69 -16° | 010/81 -25° | 360/83 -40° | 360/67 -46° | 320/29 -42° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDA Idaho Falls, ID | departure | IFR Sky: overcast at 900 feet Weather: light rain | from the southeast (130°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 900 ft | 4,743 ft | 7:53 pm MDT (01:53 UTC) |
| AOC Arco, ID | 50 nm out, 13 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 5,334 ft | ||||
| BKE Baker City, OR | 258 nm out, 3 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 7,500 feet | from the northwest (310°) at 14 knots, gusting to 23 | 10+ mi | 7,500 ft | 3,373 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| DLS The Dalles, OR | 407 nm out, 15 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 9,500 feet | from the west-northwest (290°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 9,500 ft | 246 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| CZK Cascade Locks, OR | 437 nm out, 12 nm north of the line | no report just now | 151 ft | ||||
| PDX Portland, OR | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 feet, a few clouds at 7,000 feet, a few clouds at 9,000 feet | from the east (100°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 30 ft | 6:53 pm PDT (01:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,334 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PDX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:22 pm PDT (06:22 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for PDX
- From Sun 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm PDT (03:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for IDA, the departure
- From Sun 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 3 miles, rain, mist, a broken layer at 700 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Sun 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 700 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility 5 miles, light rain, mist, scattered clouds at 1,000 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm MDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 6 knots, visibility 6 miles, light rain showers, mist, scattered clouds at 1,500 feet, overcast at 2,500 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 IDA 6:50 pm MDT (00:50 UTC), at PDX 6:30 pm PDT (01:30 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:00 pm PDT (02:00 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PDX is after sunset there (6:32 pm PDT (01:32 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: Idaho Falls Regional, Portland International.