Dane County Rgnl/Truax Field to Northwest Arkansas Ntl Airport MSN → XNA
471 nautical miles (542 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 211°, about 214° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 4 h 19 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 11-knot headwind), arriving about 1:33 pm CDT (18:33 UTC). Right now MSN is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots; XNA is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots, gusting to 16. 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: 1 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 2W: 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 245 to 412 nm out.
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
- C510 at 17,000 ft, 34 nm northwest, 8:27 am CDT (13:27 UTC): no turbulence. 20 nm along the route, 34 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
LNR UA /OV LNR/TM 1327/FL170/TP C510/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through LNR
- Where
- over LNR
- Time
- 13:27 UTC
- Height
- at 17,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C510
- Turbulence
- none
- PC12 at 20,000 ft, 34 nm northwest, 8:27 am CDT (13:27 UTC): no turbulence. 20 nm along the route, 34 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
LNR UA /OV 0WI4/TM 1327/FL200/TP PC12/TB NEG
- Report
- a routine report filed through LNR
- Where
- over 0WI4
- Time
- 13:27 UTC
- Height
- at 20,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Turbulence
- none
- B752 at 34,000 ft, 50 nm northwest, 7:23 am CDT (12:23 UTC): light chop turbulence. 69 nm along the route, 50 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
DBQ UA /OV DBQ300020/TM 1223/FL340/TP B752/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through DBQ
- Where
- 20 nm northwest (300°) of DBQ
- Time
- 12:23 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B752
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
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 4 forecast points nearest it (DBQ, BRL, COU, SGF). 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 | 240° at 26 kt | +23 kt | 97 kt | 4 h 51 min | 2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 27 kt | +23 kt | 17 °C | 97 kt | 4 h 51 min | 2:05 pm CDT (19:05 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | +20 kt | 13 °C | 100 kt | 4 h 43 min | 1:57 pm CDT (18:57 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | +18 kt | 9 °C | 102 kt | 4 h 37 min | 1:51 pm CDT (18:51 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 25 kt | +17 kt | 5 °C | 103 kt | 4 h 34 min | 1:48 pm CDT (18:48 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 260° at 26 kt | +16 kt | 0 °C | 104 kt | 4 h 32 min | 1:46 pm CDT (18:46 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 27 kt | +15 kt | -5 °C | 105 kt | 4 h 29 min | 1:43 pm CDT (18:43 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 27 kt | +14 kt | -8 °C | 106 kt | 4 h 27 min | 1:41 pm CDT (18:41 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 270° at 37 kt | +21 kt | -19 °C | 99 kt | 4 h 45 min | 1:59 pm CDT (18:59 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 59 kt | +18 kt | -32 °C | 102 kt | 4 h 37 min | 1:51 pm CDT (18:51 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 290° at 61 kt | +12 kt | -37 °C | 108 kt | 4 h 22 min | 1:36 pm CDT (18:36 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 55 kt | +11 kt | -47 °C | 109 kt | 4 h 19 min | 1:33 pm CDT (18:33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBQ | used from 0 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 250/26 | 240/32 19° | 250/35 11° | 260/37 5° | 270/35 -9° | 270/40 -21° | 270/43 -35° | 280/49 -37° | 280/58 -46° |
| BRL | used from 98 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 240/28 | 240/25 18° | 250/26 12° | 260/29 5° | 260/24 -8° | 270/36 -20° | 280/57 -33° | 290/65 -37° | 290/54 -46° |
| COU | used from 245 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 240/28 | 240/22 17° | 250/18 12° | 260/22 6° | 270/23 -7° | 260/39 -19° | 290/70 -30° | 290/71 -37° | 290/58 -48° |
| SGF | used from 344 nm out; 33 nm from the line | 220/23 | 240/29 16° | 240/21 13° | 240/15 7° | 270/28 -7° | 260/34 -18° | 280/67 -29° | 290/59 -37° | 290/51 -49° |
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 broken layer at 23,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 23,000 ft | 886 ft | 8:53 am CDT (13:53 UTC) |
| EFT Monroe, WI | 29 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the southwest (220°) at 11 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,085 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| CWI Clinton, IA | 88 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 12,000 feet | from the southwest (220°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 707 ft | 13:56 UTC |
| MLI Moline, IL | 118 nm out, 8 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (210°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 589 ft | 13:52 UTC |
| EOK Keokuk, IA | 187 nm out, 1 nm north of the line | reported, no category | from the south-southwest (200°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 671 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| HAE Hannibal, MO | 226 nm out, 21 nm southeast of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 768 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| MBY Moberly, MO | 265 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots, gusting to 19 | 10+ mi | none | 866 ft | 14:15 UTC |
| COU Columbia, MO | 295 nm out, 16 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 889 ft | 13:54 UTC |
| RAW Warsaw, MO | 344 nm out, 18 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 10 knots | 10+ mi | none | 936 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| SGF Springfield, MO | 403 nm out, 12 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,268 ft | 13:52 UTC |
| HFJ Monett, MO | 432 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 13 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,316 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| XNA Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, AR | destination | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots, gusting to 16 | 10+ mi | none | 1,288 ft | 8:53 am CDT (13:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,316 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At XNA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 1:33 pm CDT (18:33 UTC)
Wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for XNA
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
The forecast for MSN, the departure
- From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 10 knots, gusting to 20, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 9 nm from the route, 275 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at MSN 6:19 pm CDT (23:19 UTC), at XNA 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:11 pm CDT (00:11 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, Northwest Arkansas Ntl Airport.