Missoula Montana Airport to Sacramento International MSO → SMF
593 nautical miles (683 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 216°, about 203° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 26 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 14-knot tailwind), arriving about 12:05 pm PDT (19:05 UTC). 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: 2 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 ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 18,000 ft. Over the first 158 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the whole route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 158 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 MSO.
Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first
- B737 at 35,000 ft, 48 nm northwest, 7:05 am MDT (13:05 UTC): moderate clear-air turbulence from 33,000 ft to 35,000 ft, remarks: zse. 425 nm along the route, 48 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
AAT UA /OV AAT/TM 1305/FL350/TP B737/TB CONS MOD CAT 350-330/RM ZSE
- Report
- a routine report filed through AAT
- Where
- over AAT
- Time
- 13:05 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- continuous moderate clear-air turbulence from 35,000 ft to 33,000 ft
- Remarks
- zse
- C25B at 11,000 ft, 1 nm southeast, 8:13 am MDT (14:13 UTC): a routine report with nothing remarked on. At the departure end, 1 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
MSO UA /OV MSO/TM 1413/FL110/TP C25B/SK TOP 110
- Report
- a routine report filed through MSO
- Where
- over MSO
- Time
- 14:13 UTC
- Height
- at 11,000 ft
- Aircraft
- C25B
- Sky
- top 11,000 ft
- B737 at 39,000 ft, 6 nm southeast, 8:16 am MDT (14:16 UTC): light to moderate turbulence. 257 nm along the route, 6 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
BOI UA /OV BOI240060/TM 1416/FL390/TP B737/TB OCNL LGT-MOD /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through BOI
- Where
- 60 nm southwest (240°) of BOI
- Time
- 14:16 UTC
- Height
- at 39,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- occasional light to moderate zlc
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 6 forecast points nearest it (GPI, LWS, BOI, LKV, RNO, 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 3 kt | −3 kt | 0 °C | 123 kt | 4 h 49 min | 12:28 pm PDT (19:28 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 350° at 4 kt | −2 kt | -1 °C | 122 kt | 4 h 52 min | 12:31 pm PDT (19:31 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 360° at 8 kt | −6 kt | -5 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 42 min | 12:21 pm PDT (19:21 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 350° at 7 kt | −5 kt | -8 °C | 125 kt | 4 h 45 min | 12:24 pm PDT (19:24 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 340° at 6 kt | −4 kt | -11 °C | 124 kt | 4 h 47 min | 12:26 pm PDT (19:26 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 340° at 10 kt | −6 kt | -14 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 42 min | 12:21 pm PDT (19:21 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 340° at 13 kt | −7 kt | -16 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 40 min | 12:19 pm PDT (19:19 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 340° at 15 kt | −8 kt | -18 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 38 min | 12:17 pm PDT (19:17 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 340° at 21 kt | −14 kt | -28 °C | 134 kt | 4 h 26 min | 12:05 pm PDT (19:05 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 330° at 20 kt | −8 kt | -36 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 38 min | 12:17 pm PDT (19:17 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 12 kt | +5 kt | -37 °C | 115 kt | 5 h 09 min | 12:48 pm PDT (19:48 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 21 kt | +21 kt | -41 °C | 99 kt | 5 h 59 min | 1:38 pm PDT (20:38 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPI | used from 0 nm out; 104 nm from the line | L/V -3° | L/V -4° | L/V -6° | 210/19 -17° | 220/26 -32° | 190/23 -40° | 220/25 -39° | 220/34 -42° | |
| LWS | used from 49 nm out; 83 nm from the line | L/V | L/V -2° | 030/6 -5° | 050/10 -10° | 110/19 -21° | 150/22 -31° | 130/11 -36° | 200/6 -37° | 220/21 -40° |
| BOI | used from 148 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 360/9 1° | L/V -5° | 180/10 -12° | 200/58 -21° | 180/62 -31° | 200/41 -31° | 210/34 -32° | 200/29 -41° | |
| LKV | used from 297 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 010/24 -9° | 360/21 -13° | 360/69 -18° | 360/94 -25° | 350/71 -37° | 350/31 -38° | 250/17 -41° | ||
| RNO | used from 445 nm out; 60 nm from the line | L/V | 280/12 -4° | 260/15 -10° | 340/47 -17° | 340/75 -25° | 330/47 -37° | 280/20 -40° | 240/24 -42° | |
| SAC | used from 544 nm out; 33 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSO Missoula, MT | departure | no report just now | 3,205 ft | ||||
| HRF Hamilton, MT | 30 nm out, 23 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,635 ft | ||||
| MYL Mc Call, ID | 148 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,024 ft | ||||
| ONO Ontario, OR | 218 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,193 ft | ||||
| REO Rome, OR | 307 nm out, 17 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,053 ft | ||||
| SVE Susanville, CA | 485 nm out, 13 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,149 ft | ||||
| LHM Lincoln, CA | 574 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 121 ft | ||||
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | no report just now | 26 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 5,024 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, 12:05 pm PDT (19:05 UTC)
SMF has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8927 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZSE
- 6/8923 Kalispell, MT, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 through Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, at the departure end · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLC
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local on the route, 564 nm along the route · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at MSO 6:53 pm MDT (00:53 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
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: Missoula Montana Airport, Sacramento International.