Sacramento Mather Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor International MHR → PHX
545 nautical miles (628 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 121°, about 108° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 10 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 11-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:21 pm MST (06:21 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: 11 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
- SIGMET 9W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 28,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 8:55 pm PDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 476 to 526 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 9W VALID UNTIL 0355Z AZ FROM 20S TBC-30S INW-10E PHX-60SW DRK-30WNW DRK-20S TBC DMSHG AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 21020KT. TOPS TO FL280.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 10 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the route from 89 to 228 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 238 to 377 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 258 to 426 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 149 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Near the route, 417 nm along 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). Near the route, 456 nm along 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 MHR.
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 20:00–03:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 7 forecast points nearest it (SAC, FAT, BIH, LAS, BLH, PRC, PHX). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 13 kt | +3 kt | 11 °C | 117 kt | 4 h 39 min | 11:50 pm MST (06:50 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 210° at 16 kt | +2 kt | 7 °C | 118 kt | 4 h 37 min | 11:48 pm MST (06:48 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 19 kt | −1 kt | 4 °C | 121 kt | 4 h 30 min | 11:41 pm MST (06:41 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | −2 kt | 0 °C | 122 kt | 4 h 28 min | 11:39 pm MST (06:39 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | −4 kt | -4 °C | 124 kt | 4 h 24 min | 11:35 pm MST (06:35 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | −5 kt | -8 °C | 125 kt | 4 h 22 min | 11:33 pm MST (06:33 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 35 kt | −6 kt | -11 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 20 min | 11:31 pm MST (06:31 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 35 kt | −6 kt | -12 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 20 min | 11:31 pm MST (06:31 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 43 kt | −7 kt | -22 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 17 min | 11:28 pm MST (06:28 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 57 kt | −5 kt | -27 °C | 125 kt | 4 h 22 min | 11:33 pm MST (06:33 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 220° at 58 kt | −7 kt | -34 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 17 min | 11:28 pm MST (06:28 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 53 kt | −11 kt | -44 °C | 131 kt | 4 h 10 min | 11:21 pm MST (06:21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC | used from 0 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 270/5 | L/V 5° | L/V -1° | 240/11 -5° | 250/22 -15° | 270/25 -24° | 260/31 -27° | 240/39 -33° | 240/39 -42° |
| FAT | used from 50 nm out; 68 nm from the line | 180/7 | 170/9 7° | 200/20 3° | 210/27 -3° | 240/27 -14° | 230/38 -24° | 220/57 -27° | 230/42 -33° | 230/41 -44° |
| BIH | used from 99 nm out; 35 nm from the line | L/V | 210/14 6° | 210/20 -2° | 230/26 -14° | 220/32 -24° | 220/63 -27° | 220/56 -35° | 230/50 -44° | |
| LAS | used from 248 nm out; 66 nm from the line | 200/25 11° | 230/22 5° | 240/25 -1° | 220/37 -12° | 220/44 -21° | 210/52 -27° | 210/60 -34° | 220/58 -44° | |
| BLH | used from 397 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 230/22 | 210/24 11° | 230/23 5° | 230/26 0° | 220/38 -10° | 230/52 -19° | 220/58 -28° | 220/69 -34° | 220/59 -45° |
| PRC | used from 446 nm out; 49 nm from the line | 200/36 6° | 210/46 0° | 220/60 -10° | 220/75 -19° | 220/66 -26° | 230/70 -33° | 230/59 -45° | ||
| PHX | used from 496 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 210/19 | 210/20 14° | 200/20 6° | 210/40 1° | 220/58 -8° | 220/68 -20° | 220/82 -26° | 230/83 -34° | 230/69 -46° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MHR Sacramento, CA | departure | no report just now | 98 ft | ||||
| CPU San Andreas, CA | 40 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,327 ft | ||||
| MPI Mariposa, CA | 79 nm out, 22 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,254 ft | ||||
| BIH Bishop, CA | 159 nm out, 15 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,124 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 387 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| BXK Buckeye, AZ | 516 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 1,033 ft | ||||
| PHX Phoenix, AZ | destination | no report just now | 1,134 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 4,124 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PHX when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:21 pm MST (06:21 UTC)
PHX has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6740 SACRAMENTO, CA, Thursday, October 8, 2026 through Sunday, October 11, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · air shows/sports · ended 11 October · ZOA
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC on the route, 99 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
- 6/8890 LAS VEGAS, NV, Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Local 8 nm from the route, 327 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 387 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at MHR 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at PHX 5:58 pm MST (00:58 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:23 pm MST (01:23 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PHX is before sunrise there (6:30 am MST (13:30 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: Sacramento Mather Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International.