Harrisburg International to San Diego International MDT → SAN
1,985 nautical miles (2,284 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 270°, about 281° magnetic at the departure end (variation 11W). At 120 knots that is 19 h 39 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 19-knot headwind), arriving about 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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 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 489 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 21,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 90 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 20 to 180 nm out.
- 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 718 to 1257 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 1247 to 1716 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 698 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1666 to 1686 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 1666 to 1755 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 MDT.
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 17 forecast points nearest it (PSB, AGC, CMH, CVG, IND, SPI, COU, MKC, SLN, GCK, PUB, ALS, ABQ, FMN, PRC, BLH, SAN). 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 | 240° at 20 kt | +20 kt | 18 °C | 100 kt | 19 h 51 min | 7:07 pm PDT (02:07 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 19 kt | +20 kt | 15 °C | 100 kt | 19 h 51 min | 7:07 pm PDT (02:07 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +19 kt | 10 °C | 101 kt | 19 h 39 min | 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +19 kt | 7 °C | 101 kt | 19 h 39 min | 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | +19 kt | 3 °C | 101 kt | 19 h 39 min | 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +23 kt | -1 °C | 97 kt | 20 h 28 min | 7:44 pm PDT (02:44 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | +27 kt | -5 °C | 93 kt | 21 h 21 min | 8:37 pm PDT (03:37 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 28 kt | +30 kt | -8 °C | 90 kt | 22 h 03 min | 9:19 pm PDT (04:19 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 34 kt | +36 kt | -20 °C | 84 kt | 23 h 38 min | 10:54 pm PDT (05:54 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 46 kt | +49 kt | -31 °C | 71 kt | 27 h 57 min | 3:13 am PDT (10:13 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 55 kt | +58 kt | -38 °C | 62 kt | 32 h 01 min | 7:17 am PDT (14:17 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 48 kt | +51 kt | -48 °C | 69 kt | 28 h 46 min | 4:02 am PDT (11:02 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSB | used from 0 nm out; 55 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° | |
| AGC | used from 100 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 350/14 | 330/20 11° | 340/18 8° | 330/17 3° | 340/22 -11° | 340/31 -22° | 330/33 -36° | 300/34 -41° | 300/35 -47° |
| CMH | used from 199 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 330/15 | 340/22 14° | 340/24 9° | 340/23 4° | 340/35 -9° | 340/49 -20° | 340/58 -37° | 330/70 -42° | 340/55 -47° |
| CVG | used from 349 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 320/18 | 350/32 16° | 350/35 10° | 350/30 3° | 330/30 -7° | 340/44 -20° | 340/58 -35° | 330/72 -41° | 320/36 -49° |
| IND | used from 399 nm out; 16 nm from the line | 290/16 | 310/20 16° | 320/21 10° | 330/13 3° | 300/25 -7° | 320/32 -19° | 330/46 -34° | 320/61 -43° | 320/63 -50° |
| SPI | used from 499 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 220/21 | 250/23 16° | 260/27 9° | 270/14 6° | 270/23 -7° | 270/31 -19° | 270/28 -33° | 290/48 -42° | 300/55 -52° |
| COU | used from 648 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| MKC | used from 748 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| SLN | used from 898 nm out; 55 nm from the line | 210/53 | 230/41 20° | 240/26 14° | 230/16 8° | 240/25 -7° | 240/35 -19° | 250/61 -30° | 260/65 -38° | 260/56 -49° |
| GCK | used from 1047 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 220/48 21° | 230/37 14° | 250/30 8° | 230/37 -6° | 240/37 -20° | 240/69 -28° | 250/67 -37° | 260/58 -48° | |
| PUB | used from 1247 nm out; 88 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° | ||
| ALS | used from 1297 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 230/37 4° | 220/54 -9° | 230/62 -22° | 240/77 -26° | 240/74 -33° | 230/59 -45° | |||
| ABQ | used from 1396 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 220/27 11° | 210/35 5° | 220/46 -9° | 230/62 -20° | 240/78 -25° | 240/80 -35° | 240/56 -47° | ||
| FMN | used from 1446 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 220/28 9° | 220/40 2° | 220/53 -10° | 220/62 -22° | 230/79 -28° | 240/91 -34° | 230/71 -45° | ||
| PRC | used from 1596 nm out; 100 nm from the line | 210/25 5° | 200/30 1° | 220/55 -10° | 220/61 -21° | 220/84 -28° | 230/90 -34° | 230/73 -45° | ||
| BLH | used from 1795 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 210/13 | 200/21 11° | 200/22 5° | 210/25 -1° | 210/51 -10° | 220/61 -20° | 220/81 -29° | 220/92 -34° | 220/79 -45° |
| SAN | used from 1895 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 200/11 | 200/23 7° | 210/27 4° | 210/31 -3° | 220/56 -10° | 220/56 -19° | 220/52 -30° | 220/64 -37° | 220/67 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDT Harrisburg, PA | departure | no report just now | 310 ft | ||||
| HLG Wheeling, WV | 180 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,194 ft | ||||
| CMH Columbus, OH | 279 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 815 ft | ||||
| IND Indianapolis, IN | 439 nm out, 5 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 796 ft | ||||
| COU Columbia, MO | 718 nm out, 20 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 889 ft | ||||
| OJC Olathe, KS | 838 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,096 ft | ||||
| GCK Garden City, KS | 1117 nm out, 16 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,890 ft | ||||
| SKX Taos, NM | 1376 nm out, 3 nm east of the line | no report just now | 7,094 ft | ||||
| GUP Gallup, NM | 1536 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 6,472 ft | ||||
| PRC Prescott, AZ | 1716 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,045 ft | ||||
| RNM Ramona, CA | 1965 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,394 ft | ||||
| SAN San Diego, CA | destination | no report just now | 16 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,094 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SAN when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:55 pm PDT (01:55 UTC)
SAN has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 4 nm from the route, 708 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
- 6/4812 El Centro, CA, Wednesday, July 15, 2026 through Tuesday, July 13, 2027 Local 6 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 13 July · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at MDT 6:32 pm EDT (22:32 UTC), at SAN 6:19 pm PDT (01:19 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:44 pm PDT (01:44 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SAN is after sunset there (6:19 pm PDT (01:19 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: Harrisburg International, San Diego International.