Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field to Salt Lake City International MSN → SLC
1,017 nautical miles (1,171 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 270°, about 273° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 9 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 16-knot headwind), arriving about 6:26 am MDT (12:26 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MSN is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 6 knots; SLC is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 6 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: 9 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 8W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 35,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 10:55 pm CDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 668 to 748 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 8W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO MT WY FROM 40N SHR-60WNW RAP-20ENE CYS-30SW CYS-10NW BOY-40N SHR AREA TS MOV FROM 22040KT. TOPS TO FL350.
- 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 259 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the last 429 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 369 nm of the route.
- 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 718 to 938 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 798 to 898 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 209 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 199 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 last 60 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 MSN.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- E295 at 37,000 ft, 46 nm east, 7:53 pm CDT (00:53 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 46 nm east of the line.
as filed, and in English
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 0053/FL370/TP E295/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through UES
- Where
- over BAE
- Time
- 00:53 UTC
- Height
- at 37,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E295
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- C56X at 13,000 ft, 34 nm south, 8:33 pm CDT (01:33 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zdvwc. 738 nm along the route, 34 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
LAR UA /OV LAR/TM 0133/FL130/TP C56X/SK BASE160/TB OCNL CONS LGT CHOP/RM ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through LAR
- Where
- over LAR
- Time
- 01:33 UTC
- Height
- at 13,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C56X
- Sky
- BASE160
- Turbulence
- occasional continuous light chop
- Remarks
- zdvwc
- UAL2395 at 37,000 ft, 13 nm north, 7:58 pm CDT (00:58 UTC): no turbulence, wind 240° at 70 knots. 878 nm along the route, 13 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL2395 4135N 10900W 0058 F370 240/070KT TB NONE SK CLEAR IC NONE
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
- B737 at 16,000 ft, 19 nm west, 7:45 pm CDT (00:45 UTC): no turbulence, light rime icing from 13,000 ft to 17,000 ft, 8 °C, remarks: during the climb. At the destination end, 19 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
SLC UA /OV TCH230020/TM 0045/FL160/TP B737/TA 8/TB NEG/IC LT RIME 130-170/RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through SLC
- Where
- 20 nm southwest (230°) of TCH
- Time
- 00:45 UTC
- Height
- at 16,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Temperature
- 8 °C
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- lt rime from 13,000 ft to 17,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb
- B38M at 16,000 ft, 14 nm west, 7:06 pm CDT (00:06 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, 13 °C, remarks: during the climb. At the destination end, 14 nm west of the line.
as filed, and in English
SLC UA /OV TCH230015/TM 0006/FL160/TP B38M/TA 13/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURC
- Report
- a routine report filed through SLC
- Where
- 15 nm southwest (230°) of TCH
- Time
- 00:06 UTC
- Height
- at 16,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Temperature
- 13 °C
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- during the climb
- A321 at 10,000 ft, 16 nm south, 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): light chop turbulence, no icing, remarks: during the descent. At the destination end, 16 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
SLC UA /OV TCH165020/TM 0000/FL100/TP A321/TB LGT CHOP/IC NEG/RM DURD
- Report
- a routine report filed through SLC
- Where
- 20 nm south (165°) of TCH
- Time
- 00:00 UTC
- Height
- at 10,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- light chop
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- during the descent
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 7 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, MCW, FSD, ONL, BFF, RKS, SLC). 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 | 210° at 26 kt | +16 kt | 20 °C | 104 kt | 9 h 47 min | 6:26 am MDT (12:26 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | +18 kt | 17 °C | 102 kt | 9 h 58 min | 6:37 am MDT (12:37 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +19 kt | 13 °C | 101 kt | 10 h 04 min | 6:43 am MDT (12:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +20 kt | 9 °C | 100 kt | 10 h 10 min | 6:49 am MDT (12:49 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +20 kt | 4 °C | 100 kt | 10 h 10 min | 6:49 am MDT (12:49 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | +21 kt | -1 °C | 99 kt | 10 h 16 min | 6:55 am MDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +22 kt | -5 °C | 98 kt | 10 h 23 min | 7:02 am MDT (13:02 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 26 kt | +23 kt | -9 °C | 97 kt | 10 h 29 min | 7:08 am MDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 33 kt | +29 kt | -21 °C | 91 kt | 11 h 11 min | 7:50 am MDT (13:50 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 42 kt | +37 kt | -32 °C | 83 kt | 12 h 15 min | 8:54 am MDT (14:54 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 50 kt | +49 kt | -39 °C | 71 kt | 14 h 19 min | 10:58 am MDT (16:58 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 55 kt | +56 kt | -47 °C | 64 kt | 15 h 53 min | 12:32 pm MDT (18:32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 56 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° |
| MCW | used from 100 nm out; 51 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| FSD | used from 249 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 190/9 | 230/30 18° | 240/23 13° | 240/20 6° | 260/22 -9° | 250/31 -21° | 250/43 -36° | 260/49 -43° | 270/53 -47° |
| ONL | used from 349 nm out; 42 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 549 nm out; 64 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 748 nm out; 106 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 948 nm out; 45 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSN Madison, WI | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 886 ft | 8:53 pm CDT (01:53 UTC) |
| OVS Boscobel, WI | 60 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 672 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| CCY Charles City, IA | 140 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,125 ft | 02:15 UTC |
| SXK Maurice, IA | 299 nm out, 4 nm north of the line | VFR | from the west (270°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,408 ft | 02:15 UTC |
| YKN Yankton, SD | 349 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the northwest (310°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,305 ft | 01:56 UTC |
| ANW Ainsworth, NE | 469 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | VFR | from the north (360°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 2,588 ft | 02:15 UTC |
| AIA Alliance, NE | 598 nm out, 15 nm south of the line | VFR | from the east (090°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 3,930 ft | 01:53 UTC |
| GUR Guernsey, WY | 678 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,700 feet, a broken layer at 10,000 feet, a broken layer at 12,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the east-northeast (070°) at 14 knots | 9 mi | 10,000 ft | 4,401 ft | 02:23 UTC |
| RWL Rawlins, WY | 798 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 6,816 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| RKS Rock Springs, WY | 878 nm out, 14 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 13 knots, gusting to 20 | 10+ mi | none | 6,764 ft | 01:54 UTC |
| EVW Evanston, WY | 968 nm out, 17 nm north of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 1,100 feet, scattered clouds at 1,800 feet, overcast at 5,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the west-southwest (250°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 7,142 ft | 02:20 UTC |
| SLC Salt Lake City, UT | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 800 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet, overcast at 8,000 feet Weather: light rain | from the south (170°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 5,000 ft | 4,230 ft | 8:30 pm MDT (02:30 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,142 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SLC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:26 am MDT (12:26 UTC)
Wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for SLC
- From Sun 8:00 pm MDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC): wind from the south at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 4,000 feet, a broken layer at 8,000 feet
- 30% chance between Mon 2:00 am MDT (08:00 UTC) and 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind variable at 10 knots, gusting to 25, light rain showers, a broken layer at 4,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am MDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 3:00 pm MDT (21:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, light rain showers, scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, a broken layer at 5,000 feet
The forecast for MSN, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Sun 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 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 MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at SLC 6:52 pm MDT (00:52 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:19 pm MDT (01:19 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SLC is before sunrise there (7:35 am MDT (13:35 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: Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field, Salt Lake City International.