Plan a flight · Mon 3:08 am CDT (08:08 UTC)

Lake Charles Regional to Montrose Regional LCH → MTJ

883 nautical miles (1,016 statute miles) northwest on a straight line, true course 309°, about 306° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 57 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:05 am MDT (15:05 UTC). Right now LCH is VFR, wind from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots; MTJ is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) 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: 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

AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 route from 387 to 546 nm out.
AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the last 228 nm of the route.
AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 228 nm of the route.
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 route from 774 to 843 nm out.
AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 0 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 LCH.

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

GLF6 at 47,000 ft, 19 nm northeast, 2:47 am CDT (07:47 UTC): remarks: moderate mtw +/-1500FPM zdvwc. 804 nm along the route, 19 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
GUC UA /OV HBU105046/TM 0747/FL470/TP GLF6/RM MOD MTW +/-1500FPM. ZDVWC
```
Report
a routine report filed through GUC
Where
46 nm east (105°) of HBU
Time
07:47 UTC
Height
at 47,000 ft
Aircraft
GLF6
Remarks
moderate mtw +/-1500FPM zdvwc
PC12 at 26,000 ft, 29 nm north, 1:27 am CDT (06:27 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZDVWC-12. 804 nm along the route, 29 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
GUC UA /OV HBU090040/TM 0627/FL260/TP PC12/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZDVWC-12
```
Report
a routine report filed through GUC
Where
40 nm east (090°) of HBU
Time
06:27 UTC
Height
at 26,000 ft
Aircraft
PC12
Turbulence
occasional light chop
Remarks
ZDVWC-12
E170 at 4,800 ft, 47 nm northwest, 1:31 am CDT (06:31 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, clear from 4,800 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: during the descent rnav Y 11 lgjt zdvwc. At the destination end, 47 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
GJT UA /OV GJT/TM 0631/FL048/TP E170/SK SKC/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURD RNAV Y 11 LGJT. ZDVWC
```
Report
a routine report filed through GJT
Where
over GJT
Time
06:31 UTC
Height
at 4,800 ft
Aircraft
E170
Sky
clear
Turbulence
none
Icing
none
Remarks
during the descent rnav Y 11 lgjt zdvwc

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 8 forecast points nearest it (LCH, CLL, DAL, SPS, AMA, TCC, ALS, GJT). 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	200° at 30 kt	−7 kt		127 kt	6 h 57 min	9:05 am MDT (15:05 UTC)
6,500 ft	210° at 27 kt	−3 kt	16 °C	123 kt	7 h 11 min	9:19 am MDT (15:19 UTC)
8,500 ft	220° at 24 kt	+2 kt	13 °C	118 kt	7 h 29 min	9:37 am MDT (15:37 UTC)
10,500 ft	230° at 25 kt	+7 kt	9 °C	113 kt	7 h 49 min	9:57 am MDT (15:57 UTC)
12,500 ft	240° at 24 kt	+9 kt	6 °C	111 kt	7 h 57 min	10:05 am MDT (16:05 UTC)
14,500 ft	230° at 25 kt	+8 kt	2 °C	112 kt	7 h 53 min	10:01 am MDT (16:01 UTC)
16,500 ft	230° at 26 kt	+7 kt	-3 °C	113 kt	7 h 49 min	9:57 am MDT (15:57 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	230° at 26 kt	+6 kt	-6 °C	114 kt	7 h 45 min	9:53 am MDT (15:53 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	240° at 34 kt	+13 kt	-17 °C	107 kt	8 h 15 min	10:23 am MDT (16:23 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	250° at 50 kt	+30 kt	-28 °C	90 kt	9 h 49 min	11:57 am MDT (17:57 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	260° at 46 kt	+32 kt	-37 °C	88 kt	10 h 02 min	12:10 pm MDT (18:10 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	270° at 38 kt	+31 kt	-49 °C	89 kt	9 h 55 min	12:03 pm MDT (18:03 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
LCH	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	160/21	160/18 18°	180/13 12°	230/6 8°	280/10 -4°	260/13 -14°	310/29 -30°	320/32 -40°	330/33 -53°
CLL	used from 99 nm out; 81 nm from the line	170/22	170/26 18°	200/15 14°	240/13 8°	240/15 -5°	260/17 -13°	290/27 -29°	290/22 -40°	320/30 -51°
DAL	used from 149 nm out; 75 nm from the line	190/29	220/23 17°	220/17 13°	250/18 8°	230/18 -5°	240/18 -15°	270/34 -29°	280/33 -39°	300/36 -51°
SPS	used from 298 nm out; 38 nm from the line	200/39	220/28 17°	230/27 12°	240/15 9°	250/15 -4°	250/24 -15°	260/45 -28°	270/43 -39°	280/45 -51°
AMA	used from 446 nm out; 56 nm from the line		210/38	230/29 14°	240/29 7°	220/27 -5°	240/37 -18°	240/66 -28°	250/59 -37°	260/47 -49°
TCC	used from 595 nm out; 64 nm from the line		210/42	230/33 14°	230/32 6°	220/35 -6°	230/49 -19°	240/72 -27°	250/62 -36°	250/52 -48°
ALS	used from 694 nm out; 49 nm from the line				230/37 4°	220/54 -9°	230/62 -22°	240/77 -26°	240/74 -33°	230/59 -45°
GJT	used from 843 nm out; 66 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°

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
LCH Lake Charles, LA	departure	VFR Weather: mist	from the southeast (140°) at 4 knots	6 mi	none	14 ft	2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC)
JAS Jasper, TX	60 nm out, 10 nm northeast of the line	VFR	calm	9 mi	none	212 ft	07:55 UTC
PSN Palestine, TX	159 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	422 ft	07:55 UTC
GKY Arlington, TX	248 nm out, 2 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 10 knots, gusting to 21	10+ mi	none	628 ft	07:53 UTC
FTW Fort Worth, TX	268 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (170°) at 13 knots	10+ mi	none	710 ft	07:53 UTC
SPS Wichita Falls, TX	357 nm out, 22 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	1,019 ft	07:52 UTC
AMA Amarillo, TX	526 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 17 knots	10+ mi	none	3,606 ft	07:53 UTC
DHT Dalhart, TX	585 nm out, 9 nm north of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots	10+ mi	none	3,991 ft	07:53 UTC
RTN Raton, NM	694 nm out, 8 nm south of the line	VFR	from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	6,352 ft	07:53 UTC
RCV Del Norte, CO	794 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line	VFR	from the southwest (230°) at 15 knots, gusting to 23	10+ mi	none	7,955 ft	07:55 UTC
GUC Gunnison, CO	843 nm out, 24 nm northeast of the line	VFR	variable at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	7,679 ft	07:56 UTC
MTJ Montrose, CO	destination	VFR	from the north-northwest (340°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	5,758 ft	1:53 am MDT (07:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 7,955 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At MTJ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:05 am MDT (15:05 UTC)

Wind from the south-southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for MTJ

From Mon 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 5,000 feet, scattered clouds at 12,000 feet
From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 6,000 feet, a broken layer at 11,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am MDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet, a few clouds at 11,000 feet
From Mon 1:00 pm MDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet
From Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 7,000 feet, a few clouds at 11,000 feet
30% chance between Mon 6:00 pm MDT (00:00 UTC) and 12:00 am MDT (06:00 UTC): visibility 4 miles, light rain showers, a broken layer at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet

The forecast for LCH, the departure

From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

9/2934 DALLAS, TX 18 nm from the route, 248 nm along the route · a VIP movement · ZFW
6/8646 Arlington, TX, Thursday, October 15, 2026 through Friday, October 16, 2026 UTC 5 nm from the route, 258 nm along the route · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Thursday 15 October · ZFW

Daylight

Sunset at LCH 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at MTJ 6:36 pm MDT (00:36 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm MDT (01:03 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 lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Rockies · 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: Lake Charles Regional, Montrose Regional.