Laguardia Airport to General Mitchell International LGA → MKE
640 nautical miles (736 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 286°, about 298° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12W). At 120 knots that is 5 h 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 8-knot headwind), arriving about 7:48 am CDT (12:48 UTC). Right now LGA is IFR, wind from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots; MKE is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 10 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: 2,503 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the first 560 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 200 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 80 to 250 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 LGA.
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (JFK, AVP, PSB, BUF, CLE, MKG). 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 | 310° at 9 kt | +8 kt | 13 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 43 min | 7:48 am CDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 330° at 11 kt | +8 kt | 12 °C | 112 kt | 5 h 43 min | 7:48 am CDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 310° at 12 kt | +10 kt | 9 °C | 110 kt | 5 h 49 min | 7:54 am CDT (12:54 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 300° at 11 kt | +10 kt | 6 °C | 110 kt | 5 h 49 min | 7:54 am CDT (12:54 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 300° at 11 kt | +10 kt | 2 °C | 110 kt | 5 h 49 min | 7:54 am CDT (12:54 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 300° at 15 kt | +14 kt | -2 °C | 106 kt | 6 h 02 min | 8:07 am CDT (13:07 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 300° at 18 kt | +17 kt | -7 °C | 103 kt | 6 h 13 min | 8:18 am CDT (13:18 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 21 kt | +20 kt | -10 °C | 100 kt | 6 h 24 min | 8:29 am CDT (13:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 26 kt | +25 kt | -21 °C | 95 kt | 6 h 44 min | 8:49 am CDT (13:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 35 kt | +33 kt | -36 °C | 87 kt | 7 h 21 min | 9:26 am CDT (14:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 42 kt | +40 kt | -43 °C | 80 kt | 8 h | 10:05 am CDT (15:05 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 47 kt | +45 kt | -50 °C | 75 kt | 8 h 32 min | 10:37 am CDT (15:37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JFK | used from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 250/18 | 250/23 14° | 240/33 9° | 240/33 4° | 240/38 -10° | 240/45 -21° | 230/86 -32° | 230/102 -40° | 230/84 -51° |
| AVP | used from 50 nm out; 18 nm from the line | 150/5 | 350/13 12° | 270/20 8° | 260/17 4° | 260/25 -11° | 240/31 -22° | 240/54 -35° | 230/61 -41° | 240/55 -49° |
| PSB | used from 150 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 360/13 13° | 330/14 7° | 300/11 3° | 290/12 -11° | 240/23 -23° | 270/25 -36° | 250/34 -40° | 250/45 -48° | |
| BUF | used from 250 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 320/10 | 010/16 10° | 360/10 6° | 340/13 2° | 330/22 -11° | 300/25 -23° | 320/31 -38° | 300/29 -44° | 280/36 -50° |
| CLE | used from 300 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 340/7 | 010/16 13° | 350/18 8° | 350/20 3° | 340/31 -10° | 340/46 -21° | 340/54 -37° | 330/62 -44° | 340/65 -49° |
| MKG | used from 450 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 260/22 | 290/16 15° | 300/11 10° | 290/5 3° | 300/26 -9° | 300/32 -20° | 320/48 -36° | 320/61 -45° | 310/74 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LGA New York, NY | departure | IFR Sky: a broken layer at 900 feet, overcast at 1,400 feet | from the north-northeast (020°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 900 ft | 20 ft | 2:51 am EDT (06:51 UTC) |
| CDW Caldwell, NJ | 20 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: a broken layer at 1,400 feet, overcast at 2,100 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,400 ft | 172 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| AVP Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA | 90 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,400 feet | from the northeast (040°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | 1,400 ft | 961 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| IPT Williamsport, PA | 140 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,500 feet | from the west (270°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 1,500 ft | 528 ft | 06:54 UTC |
| BFD Bradford, PA | 220 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | from the northwest (320°) at 4 knots | 3 mi | 200 ft | 2,143 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| ERI Erie, PA | 290 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 3,000 feet | variable at 4 knots | 10+ mi | 3,000 ft | 732 ft | 00:51 UTC |
| DET Detroit, MI | 420 nm out, 2 nm northwest of the line, tower | marginal VFR Sky: overcast at 1,200 feet | from the west (270°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 1,200 ft | 624 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| LAN Lansing, MI | 490 nm out, 11 nm north of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 5 knots | 9 mi | none | 860 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| GRR Grand Rapids, MI | 540 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the southeast (140°) at 5 knots | 7 mi | none | 793 ft | 06:53 UTC |
| MKE Milwaukee, WI | destination | VFR Sky: overcast at 25,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 728 ft | 1:52 am CDT (06:52 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,143 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MKE when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:48 am CDT (12:48 UTC)
Wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MKE
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 8:00 pm CDT (01:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 4,000 feet, scattered clouds at 11,000 feet
- From Tue 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for LGA, the departure
- From Mon 2:00 am EDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, showers nearby, overcast at 800 feet
- From Mon 8:00 am EDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 800 feet, overcast at 1,500 feet
- From Mon 11:00 am EDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the north at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
- From Mon 1:00 pm EDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 11:00 pm EDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 5,000 feet, a few clouds at 15,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 5/2811 NEW YORK, NY, Monday, October 20, 2025 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Local 4 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 20 October · ZNY
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 310 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 21 nm from the route, 310 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at LGA 6:20 pm EDT (22:20 UTC), at MKE 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 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: Laguardia Airport, General Mitchell International.