Plan a flight · Mon 7:53 am PDT (14:53 UTC)

Monterey Regional to Sacramento International MRY → SMF

127 nautical miles (146 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 005°, about 350° magnetic at the departure end (variation 15E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 8-knot headwind), arriving about 9:01 am PDT (16:01 UTC). Right now MRY is VFR, wind from the east (100°) at 6 knots; SMF is VFR, wind calm. 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: 3 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 TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the whole 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 MRY.

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

PA46 at 1,100 ft, 36 nm east, 7:37 am PDT (14:37 UTC): a broken layer above 2,500 ft, remarks: bases 2,500 ft. 68 nm along the route, 36 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MOD UA /OV KMOD18001/TM 1437/FL011/TP PA46/SK BKN025/RM BASES 025
```
Report
a routine report filed through MOD
Where
KMOD18001
Time
14:37 UTC
Height
at 1,100 ft
Aircraft
PA46
Sky
a broken layer from 2,500 ft
Remarks
bases 2,500 ft
B739 at 36,000 ft, 21 nm east, 7:39 am PDT (14:39 UTC): no turbulence. 78 nm along the route, 21 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IND UA /OV SCK/TM 1439/FL360/TP B739/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through IND
Where
over SCK
Time
14:39 UTC
Height
at 36,000 ft
Aircraft
B739
Turbulence
none

Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 2 forecast points nearest it (SFO, SAC). 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	360° at 8 kt	+8 kt		112 kt	1 h 08 min	9:01 am PDT (16:01 UTC)
6,500 ft	350° at 12 kt	+12 kt	4 °C	108 kt	1 h 11 min	9:04 am PDT (16:04 UTC)
8,500 ft	350° at 15 kt	+15 kt	-2 °C	105 kt	1 h 13 min	9:06 am PDT (16:06 UTC)
10,500 ft	350° at 26 kt	+25 kt	-2 °C	95 kt	1 h 20 min	9:13 am PDT (16:13 UTC)
12,500 ft	350° at 38 kt	+36 kt	-4 °C	84 kt	1 h 31 min	9:24 am PDT (16:24 UTC)
14,500 ft	350° at 45 kt	+43 kt	-6 °C	77 kt	1 h 39 min	9:32 am PDT (16:32 UTC)
16,500 ft	350° at 52 kt	+50 kt	-9 °C	70 kt	1 h 49 min	9:42 am PDT (16:42 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	350° at 58 kt	+56 kt	-11 °C	64 kt	1 h 59 min	9:52 am PDT (16:52 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	350° at 59 kt	+56 kt	-24 °C	64 kt	1 h 59 min	9:52 am PDT (16:52 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	350° at 59 kt	+56 kt	-40 °C	64 kt	1 h 59 min	9:52 am PDT (16:52 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	340° at 49 kt	+44 kt	-46 °C	76 kt	1 h 40 min	9:33 am PDT (16:33 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	310° at 28 kt	+18 kt	-47 °C	102 kt	1 h 15 min	9:08 am PDT (16:08 UTC)

Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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
SFO	used from 0 nm out; 47 nm from the line	010/6	360/13 5°	360/17 -3°	350/39 -2°	350/56 -11°	350/57 -24°	350/59 -40°	340/50 -46°	320/30 -47°
SAC	used from 98 nm out; 7 nm from the line	L/V	320/8 4°	330/12 -3°	350/25 -6°	350/63 -12°	340/65 -24°	340/60 -40°	340/45 -45°	290/24 -45°

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
MRY Monterey, CA	departure	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,600 feet	from the east (100°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	3,600 ft	256 ft	6:54 am PDT (13:54 UTC)
WVI Watsonville, CA	20 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet	from the north-northwest (340°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	163 ft	13:53 UTC
RHV San Jose, CA	49 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	135 ft	14:47 UTC
VCB Vacaville, CA	108 nm out, 16 nm west of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	116 ft	13:53 UTC
SMF Sacramento, CA	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet	calm	10+ mi	none	26 ft	6:53 am PDT (13:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 256 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:01 am PDT (16:01 UTC)

Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for SMF

From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 10:00 pm PDT (05:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

The forecast for MRY, the departure

From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet

Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it

6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 17 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA

Daylight

Sunset at MRY 6:33 pm PDT (01:33 UTC), at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 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 Pacific Southwest · 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: Monterey Regional, Sacramento International.