Chicago Midway International to Reno/Tahoe International MDW → RNO
1,457 nautical miles (1,676 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 275°, about 279° magnetic at the departure end (variation 4W). At 120 knots that is 13 h 37 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 13-knot headwind), arriving about 12:46 pm PDT (19:46 UTC). 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: 204 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). Near the route, at the departure end.
- 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 120 to 678 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 519 nm along the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the route from 668 to 1048 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 718 to 1187 nm out.
- 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 778 to 948 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 848 to 1317 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 858 to 1347 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 868 to 948 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 10 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 MDW.
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 11 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA, ONL, BFF, RKS, SLC, ELY, BAM, RNO). 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 | 220° at 22 kt | +13 kt | 20 °C | 107 kt | 13 h 37 min | 12:46 pm PDT (19:46 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 20 kt | +14 kt | 17 °C | 106 kt | 13 h 45 min | 12:54 pm PDT (19:54 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 19 kt | +15 kt | 9 °C | 105 kt | 13 h 53 min | 1:02 pm PDT (20:02 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | +16 kt | 5 °C | 104 kt | 14 h 01 min | 1:10 pm PDT (20:10 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +18 kt | 1 °C | 102 kt | 14 h 17 min | 1:26 pm PDT (20:26 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +20 kt | -3 °C | 100 kt | 14 h 34 min | 1:43 pm PDT (20:43 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +22 kt | -7 °C | 98 kt | 14 h 52 min | 2:01 pm PDT (21:01 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 29 kt | +23 kt | -11 °C | 97 kt | 15 h 01 min | 2:10 pm PDT (21:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 35 kt | +27 kt | -22 °C | 93 kt | 15 h 40 min | 2:49 pm PDT (21:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 44 kt | +38 kt | -32 °C | 82 kt | 17 h 46 min | 4:55 pm PDT (23:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 51 kt | +49 kt | -37 °C | 71 kt | 20 h 31 min | 7:40 pm PDT (02:40 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 53 kt | +53 kt | -46 °C | 67 kt | 21 h 45 min | 8:54 pm PDT (03:54 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 19 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
| DBQ | used from 100 nm out; 29 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| DSM | used from 200 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| OMA | used from 299 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| ONL | used from 399 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| BFF | used from 599 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| RKS | used from 848 nm out; 82 nm from the line | 200/41 | 220/44 1° | 220/35 -11° | 220/46 -24° | 210/53 -27° | 220/62 -35° | 230/61 -44° | ||
| SLC | used from 998 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 200/5 | 230/8 2° | 220/20 -2° | 210/40 -12° | 190/53 -25° | 210/62 -30° | 220/69 -34° | 220/64 -43° | |
| ELY | used from 1197 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/39 3° | 210/27 -2° | 210/45 -15° | 220/56 -24° | 210/60 -28° | 210/63 -34° | 220/61 -43° | ||
| BAM | used from 1247 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| RNO | used from 1397 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MDW Chicago, IL | departure | no report just now | 619 ft | ||||
| ARR Chicago/Aurora, IL | 30 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 712 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 180 nm out, 7 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| SUX Sioux City, IA | 389 nm out, 21 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,098 ft | ||||
| TIF Thedford, NE | 569 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 2,925 ft | ||||
| BFF Scottsbluff, NE | 708 nm out, 5 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,967 ft | ||||
| SAA Saratoga, WY | 858 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 7,014 ft | ||||
| FBR Fort Bridger, WY | 1018 nm out, 16 nm north of the line | no report just now | 7,038 ft | ||||
| SLC Salt Lake City, UT | 1087 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,230 ft | ||||
| ENV Wendover, UT | 1187 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,236 ft | ||||
| SPZ Silver Springs, NV | 1437 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,265 ft | ||||
| RNO Reno, NV | destination | no report just now | 4,414 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,038 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At RNO when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 12:46 pm PDT (19:46 UTC)
RNO has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
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 MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC), at RNO 6:24 pm PDT (01:24 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:51 pm PDT (01:51 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: Chicago Midway International, Reno/Tahoe International.