Falls Intl/Einarson Field to San Francisco International INL → SFO
1,418 nautical miles (1,632 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 253°, about 250° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 11 h 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:52 pm PDT (23:52 UTC). Right now INL is marginal VFR, wind from the east (080°) at 10 knots; SFO is VFR, wind from the west-northwest (300°) at 5 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: 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 C18C: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC). Over the route from 260 to 290 nm out.
as issued
WSUS32 KKCI 121155 MKCC WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 18C VALID UNTIL 1355Z SD ND FROM 50NE BIS-70W FAR-40N PIR-40N DPR-50NE BIS AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- SIGMET W23W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 8:55 am CDT (13:55 UTC). Over the route from 889 to 909 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 121155 MKCW WST 121155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 23W VALID UNTIL 1355Z UT ID FROM 20WSW PIH-20NE MLD-30SW SLC-20NW BVL-20WSW PIH AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- 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 939 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 509 to 1109 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 609 to 1079 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 250 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1298 to 1318 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 INL.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- P28A at 4,000 ft, 45 nm southeast, 4:27 am CDT (09:27 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, overcast from 1,300 ft to 3,800 ft, 10 °C. 180 nm along the route, 45 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
FAR UA /OV KFAR270015/TM 0927/FL040/TP P28A/SK OVC013-TOP038/TA 10/TB NEG/IC NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through FAR
- Where
- 15 nm west (270°) of KFAR
- Time
- 09:27 UTC
- Height
- at 4,000 ft
- Aircraft
- P28A
- Sky
- overcast from 1,300 ft, tops 3,800 ft
- Temperature
- 10 °C
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- C340 at 24,000 ft, 42 nm northwest, 5:59 am CDT (10:59 UTC): light to moderate icing, -22 °C. 439 nm along the route, 42 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
DIK UA /OV DIK240054/TM 1059/FL240/TP C340/TA M22/IC LGT-MOD CLR /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through DIK
- Where
- 54 nm southwest (240°) of DIK
- Time
- 10:59 UTC
- Height
- at 24,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C340
- Temperature
- −22 °C
- Icing
- light to moderate clear zlc
- CRJ7 at 4,800 ft, 15 nm northwest, 7:10 am CDT (12:10 UTC): overcast above 4,800 ft, remarks: during the descent runway 21 pih. 869 nm along the route, 15 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
PIH UA /OV KPIH/TM 1210/FL048/TP CRJ7/SK OVC048-TOPUNKN/RM DURD RY21 PIH
- Report
- a routine report filed through PIH
- Where
- over KPIH
- Time
- 12:10 UTC
- Height
- at 4,800 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ7
- Sky
- overcast from 4,800 ft, tops unknown
- Remarks
- during the descent runway 21 pih
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 12 forecast points nearest it (INL, GFK, MOT, DIK, MLS, BIL, LND, PIH, BAM, RNO, SAC, SFO). 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 | 070° at 2 kt | −2 kt | 2 °C | 122 kt | 11 h 37 min | 4:52 pm PDT (23:52 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 3 kt | +3 kt | 5 °C | 117 kt | 12 h 07 min | 5:22 pm PDT (00:22 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 10 kt | +10 kt | 3 °C | 110 kt | 12 h 53 min | 6:08 pm PDT (01:08 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +18 kt | 0 °C | 102 kt | 13 h 54 min | 7:09 pm PDT (02:09 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | +24 kt | -3 °C | 96 kt | 14 h 46 min | 8:01 pm PDT (03:01 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +26 kt | -7 °C | 94 kt | 15 h 05 min | 8:20 pm PDT (03:20 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | +28 kt | -11 °C | 92 kt | 15 h 25 min | 8:40 pm PDT (03:40 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 29 kt | +29 kt | -14 °C | 91 kt | 15 h 35 min | 8:50 pm PDT (03:50 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 28 kt | +28 kt | -25 °C | 92 kt | 15 h 25 min | 8:40 pm PDT (03:40 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 40 kt | +39 kt | -33 °C | 81 kt | 17 h 30 min | 10:45 pm PDT (05:45 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 48 kt | +48 kt | -39 °C | 72 kt | 19 h 42 min | 12:57 am PDT (07:57 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 53 kt | +54 kt | -45 °C | 66 kt | 21 h 29 min | 2:44 am PDT (09:44 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 090/25 | L/V 8° | 250/20 6° | 270/32 1° | 270/44 -11° | 280/48 -22° | 280/56 -38° | 270/50 -47° | 280/83 -50° |
| GFK | used from 100 nm out; 32 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° |
| MOT | used from 250 nm out; 92 nm from the line | 120/14 4° | 190/25 5° | 220/41 1° | 240/43 -11° | 230/39 -22° | 220/44 -38° | 240/62 -42° | 250/73 -48° | |
| DIK | used from 300 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 190/12 5° | 230/29 7° | 220/33 1° | 220/43 -11° | 210/47 -23° | 220/53 -33° | 240/56 -40° | 250/72 -47° | |
| MLS | used from 449 nm out; 78 nm from the line | 290/17 -1° | 250/18 0° | 230/25 0° | 220/31 -11° | 220/32 -24° | 220/50 -32° | 220/60 -38° | 230/71 -46° | |
| BIL | used from 599 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 300/14 | 270/19 -2° | 260/26 -2° | 220/28 -13° | 210/51 -25° | 220/56 -33° | 220/61 -39° | 220/72 -45° | |
| LND | used from 649 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 240/10 3° | 240/30 0° | 220/42 -13° | 230/52 -23° | 220/54 -33° | 220/52 -36° | 220/53 -44° | ||
| PIH | used from 799 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 070/8 | 150/19 1° | 180/32 -4° | 210/44 -17° | 210/37 -28° | 210/74 -31° | 220/68 -35° | 220/60 -43° | |
| BAM | used from 999 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 280/9 -2° | 260/18 -8° | 190/47 -19° | 200/50 -29° | 210/56 -29° | 220/54 -34° | 220/45 -42° | ||
| RNO | used from 1199 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 010/6 | 270/12 -3° | 220/26 -10° | 280/13 -19° | 350/44 -24° | 320/30 -32° | 260/22 -36° | 240/24 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 1298 nm out; 35 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -44° |
| SFO | used from 1398 nm out; 10 nm from the line | 090/9 | 050/12 4° | 010/17 -2° | 350/34 -3° | 360/70 -11° | 360/75 -22° | 350/57 -38° | 330/37 -42° | 280/25 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| INL International Falls, MN | departure | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet | from the east (080°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 1,184 ft | 6:54 am CDT (11:54 UTC) |
| CKN Crookston, MN | 140 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,100 feet | from the north (010°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,100 ft | 896 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| GFK Grand Forks, ND | 160 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | low IFR Sky: overcast at 400 feet Weather: light drizzle, mist | from the north (010°) at 11 knots | 2 mi | 400 ft | 845 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| BIS Bismarck, ND | 320 nm out, 5 nm east of the line, tower | IFR Sky: overcast at 600 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northeast (030°) at 6 knots | 6 mi | 600 ft | 1,661 ft | 11:52 UTC |
| BWW Bowman, ND | 429 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 300 feet Weather: unknown precipitation | from the east-northeast (070°) at 8 knots | 0.75 mi | 300 ft | 2,965 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| GEY Greybull, WY | 649 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,300 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 1,300 ft | 3,941 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| JAC Jackson, WY | 779 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: overcast at 11,000 feet | from the north (010°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 11,000 ft | 6,451 ft | 11:56 UTC |
| PIH Pocatello, ID | 869 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a few clouds at 700 feet, a broken layer at 1,300 feet, overcast at 2,500 feet Weather: rain | from the west-southwest (250°) at 13 knots | 7 mi | 1,300 ft | 4,451 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| BAM Battle Mountain, NV | 1109 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 7,500 feet, a broken layer at 9,000 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet | from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 9,000 ft | 4,536 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| RNO Reno, NV | 1249 nm out, 20 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 6,500 feet | from the north (360°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 6,500 ft | 4,414 ft | 11:55 UTC |
| CCR Concord, CA | 1388 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 25 ft | 11:53 UTC |
| SFO San Francisco, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 feet, a few clouds at 9,000 feet | from the west-northwest (300°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 13 ft | 4:56 am PDT (11:56 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,451 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SFO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:52 pm PDT (23:52 UTC)
Wind from the west at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for SFO
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the west at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,000 feet, a few clouds at 9,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm PDT (22:00 UTC): wind from the west at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 8:00 pm PDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the west at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for INL, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 10 knots, gusting to 19, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, overcast at 900 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the east-northeast at 10 knots, gusting to 18, visibility 5 miles, light rain showers, mist, overcast at 700 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the east at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 500 feet
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 6 nm from the route, 170 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at INL 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC), at SFO 6:35 pm PDT (01:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm PDT (02:01 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: Falls Intl/Einarson Field, San Francisco International.
