Plan a flight · Sun 6:47 pm CDT (23:47 UTC)

Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport to Rochester International MEM → RST

545 nautical miles (627 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 348°, about 349° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 7-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:04 pm CDT (04:04 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MEM is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots; RST is VFR, wind from the south (180°) 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: 507 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

No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.

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 MEM.

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

B737 at 33,000 ft, 21 nm east, 4:10 pm CDT (21:10 UTC): moderate chop turbulence, remarks: zme. 89 nm along the route, 21 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CGI UA /OV MAW/TM 2110/FL330/TP B737/TB MOD CHOP/RM ZME
```
Report
a routine report filed through CGI
Where
over MAW
Time
21:10 UTC
Height
at 33,000 ft
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
moderate chop
Remarks
zme
A319 at 39,000 ft, 2 nm south, 6:11 pm CDT (23:11 UTC): no chop turbulence, remarks: smooth. At the departure end, 2 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MEM UA /OV MEM/TM 2311/FL390/TP A319/TB NEG CHOP/RM SMOOTH
```
Report
a routine report filed through MEM
Where
over MEM
Time
23:11 UTC
Height
at 39,000 ft
Aircraft
A319
Turbulence
no chop
Remarks
smooth
B38M at 35,000 ft, 41 nm east, 4:34 pm CDT (21:34 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zme. At the departure end, 41 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MKL UA /OV MKL225020/TM 2134/FL350/TP B38M/TB CONS LGT CHOP/RM ZME
```
Report
a routine report filed through MKL
Where
20 nm southwest (225°) of MKL
Time
21:34 UTC
Height
at 35,000 ft
Aircraft
B38M
Turbulence
continuous light chop
Remarks
zme
A321 at 34,000 ft, 46 nm east, 4:01 pm CDT (21:01 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence, remarks: zkc fdc fn. 129 nm along the route, 46 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
CGI UA /OV CGI/TM 2101/FL340/TP A321/TB CONS LGT-MOD CHOP/RM ZKC FDC FN
```
Report
a routine report filed through CGI
Where
over CGI
Time
21:01 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
A321
Turbulence
continuous light to moderate chop
Remarks
zkc fdc fn
CRJ7 at 37,000 ft, 6 nm east, 4:06 pm CDT (21:06 UTC): no turbulence. 396 nm along the route, 6 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IOW UA /OV IOW/TM 2106/FL370/TP CRJ7/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through IOW
Where
over IOW
Time
21:06 UTC
Height
at 37,000 ft
Aircraft
CRJ7
Turbulence
none
A21N at 34,000 ft, 19 nm west, 5:01 pm CDT (22:01 UTC): light chop turbulence. 446 nm along the route, 19 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
ALO UA /OV ALO180020/TM 2201/FL340/TP A21N/TB CONS LGT CHOP
```
Report
a routine report filed through ALO
Where
20 nm south (180°) of ALO
Time
22:01 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Turbulence
continuous light chop

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 20:00–03:00 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 (MEM, CGI, STL, BRL, DBQ, MCW). 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	230° at 17 kt	−7 kt		127 kt	4 h 17 min	11:04 pm CDT (04:04 UTC)
6,500 ft	260° at 19 kt	−1 kt	16 °C	121 kt	4 h 30 min	11:17 pm CDT (04:17 UTC)
8,500 ft	260° at 19 kt	+1 kt	11 °C	119 kt	4 h 35 min	11:22 pm CDT (04:22 UTC)
10,500 ft	270° at 19 kt	+4 kt	8 °C	116 kt	4 h 42 min	11:29 pm CDT (04:29 UTC)
12,500 ft	280° at 19 kt	+7 kt	4 °C	113 kt	4 h 49 min	11:36 pm CDT (04:36 UTC)
14,500 ft	290° at 19 kt	+9 kt	0 °C	111 kt	4 h 55 min	11:42 pm CDT (04:42 UTC)
16,500 ft	290° at 18 kt	+11 kt	-4 °C	109 kt	5 h	11:47 pm CDT (04:47 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	300° at 18 kt	+12 kt	-7 °C	108 kt	5 h 03 min	11:50 pm CDT (04:50 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	300° at 23 kt	+17 kt	-18 °C	103 kt	5 h 17 min	12:04 am CDT (05:04 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	310° at 42 kt	+35 kt	-33 °C	85 kt	6 h 25 min	1:12 am CDT (06:12 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	320° at 56 kt	+48 kt	-43 °C	72 kt	7 h 34 min	2:21 am CDT (07:21 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 63 kt	+46 kt	-52 °C	74 kt	7 h 22 min	2:09 am CDT (07:09 UTC)

Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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
MEM	used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line	240/9	280/14 17°	280/20 12°	290/25 5°	320/25 -6°	330/31 -18°	320/52 -32°	330/58 -41°	320/42 -50°
CGI	used from 50 nm out; 68 nm from the line	250/10	290/12 17°	290/18 11°	300/22 5°	320/25 -8°	330/30 -18°	320/53 -33°	320/66 -42°	320/56 -50°
STL	used from 149 nm out; 55 nm from the line	210/13	260/16 17°	270/21 10°	280/24 5°	310/20 -7°	320/22 -18°	320/44 -33°	320/59 -43°	310/69 -51°
BRL	used from 297 nm out; 32 nm from the line	200/20	250/21 16°	240/22 10°	260/20 5°	270/16 -7°	290/22 -18°	320/41 -34°	320/56 -43°	310/68 -53°
DBQ	used from 396 nm out; 60 nm from the line	220/23	240/22 16°	240/24 10°	260/18 5°	270/16 -8°	290/27 -19°	310/42 -35°	320/55 -44°	300/71 -52°
MCW	used from 446 nm out; 60 nm from the line	200/35	240/33 18°	250/20 10°	260/10 6°	270/18 -8°	260/28 -19°	280/30 -34°	290/49 -43°	280/70 -54°

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
MEM Memphis, TN	departure	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 22,000 feet	from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	340 ft	5:54 pm CDT (22:54 UTC)
NQA Millington, TN	20 nm out, 9 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southeast (160°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	322 ft	22:50 UTC
TKX Kennett, MO	69 nm out, 11 nm east of the line	VFR	from the south-southwest (210°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	261 ft	23:35 UTC
POF Poplar Bluff, MO	109 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line	VFR	from the southwest (230°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	330 ft	22:53 UTC
FAM Farmington, MO	168 nm out, 13 nm east of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	945 ft	20:07 UTC
SUS St Louis, MO	218 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower	VFR	from the east-southeast (120°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	463 ft	22:54 UTC
UIN Quincy, IL	297 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line	VFR	from the south-southeast (150°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	768 ft	22:54 UTC
EOK Keokuk, IA	337 nm out, 4 nm south of the line	reported, no category	from the south-southeast (160°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	671 ft	23:35 UTC
CID Cedar Rapids, IA	416 nm out, 7 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 11 knots, gusting to 19	10+ mi	none	869 ft	21:52 UTC
ALO Waterloo, IA	466 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower	VFR	from the south (180°) at 9 knots	10+ mi	none	873 ft	22:54 UTC
CJJ Cresco, IA	505 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line	no report just now				1,279 ft
RST Rochester, MN	destination	VFR	from the south (180°) at 10 knots	7 mi	none	1,317 ft	5:54 pm CDT (22:54 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 1,317 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At RST when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:04 pm CDT (04:04 UTC)

Wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for RST

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
From Mon 4:00 pm CDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 11 knots, gusting to 18, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet

The forecast for MEM, the departure

From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 4 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 am CDT (16:00 UTC): wind from the west-southwest at 9 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 10,000 feet

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 MEM 6:30 pm CDT (23:30 UTC), at RST 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:02 pm CDT (00:02 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RST is after sunset there (6:33 pm CDT (23:33 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 upper Mississippi valley · 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: Frederick W Smith Intl/Memphis Airport, Rochester International.