Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Albuquerque International Sunport MSP → ABQ
852 nautical miles (980 statute miles) southwest on a straight line, true course 231°, about 231° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 47 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 23-knot headwind), arriving about 4:32 am MDT (10:32 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: 366 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 1W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 9:55 pm CDT (02:55 UTC). Over the last 139 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120055 MKCW WST 120055 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 1W VALID UNTIL 0255Z CO NM WY AZ UT FROM 40NNW CHE-40WNW TBE-60WNW CME-40N SJN-40ESE MTU-40NNW CHE AREA SEV TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340. WIND GUSTS TO 60KT POSS.
- 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 396 to 604 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 238 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 683 to 723 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 99 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 89 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 MSP.
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 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 8 forecast points nearest it (MSP, FSD, ONL, GRI, GLD, PUB, ALS, ABQ). 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 | 200° at 25 kt | +23 kt | 18 °C | 97 kt | 8 h 47 min | 4:32 am MDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 210° at 25 kt | +24 kt | 17 °C | 96 kt | 8 h 52 min | 4:37 am MDT (10:37 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 220° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 14 °C | 95 kt | 8 h 58 min | 4:43 am MDT (10:43 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | +24 kt | 10 °C | 96 kt | 8 h 52 min | 4:37 am MDT (10:37 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +23 kt | 5 °C | 97 kt | 8 h 47 min | 4:32 am MDT (10:32 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +26 kt | 1 °C | 94 kt | 9 h 04 min | 4:49 am MDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 240° at 30 kt | +29 kt | -4 °C | 91 kt | 9 h 22 min | 5:07 am MDT (11:07 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 33 kt | +32 kt | -8 °C | 88 kt | 9 h 41 min | 5:26 am MDT (11:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 36 kt | +35 kt | -20 °C | 85 kt | 10 h 01 min | 5:46 am MDT (11:46 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 55 kt | +54 kt | -32 °C | 66 kt | 12 h 55 min | 8:40 am MDT (14:40 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 60 kt | +56 kt | -40 °C | 64 kt | 13 h 19 min | 9:04 am MDT (15:04 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 61 kt | +54 kt | -50 °C | 66 kt | 12 h 55 min | 8:40 am MDT (14:40 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 200/28 | 240/30 19° | 240/24 12° | 240/17 5° | 270/24 -10° | 270/33 -20° | 280/48 -35° | 290/55 -45° | 280/84 -54° |
| FSD | used from 99 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 200/16 | 220/20 17° | 240/26 13° | 230/19 6° | 240/25 -9° | 240/28 -20° | 250/39 -33° | 250/44 -43° | 260/63 -52° |
| ONL | used from 248 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 200/20 17° | 230/26 14° | 240/21 7° | 250/27 -9° | 260/32 -19° | 240/44 -34° | 240/56 -41° | 250/62 -51° | |
| GRI | used from 297 nm out; 30 nm from the line | 210/31 19° | 240/21 14° | 240/17 6° | 260/27 -7° | 260/34 -18° | 240/45 -32° | 250/56 -40° | 260/62 -51° | |
| GLD | used from 396 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 190/29 | 200/30 15° | 240/23 8° | 250/39 -7° | 230/39 -19° | 230/57 -31° | 240/67 -39° | 250/62 -49° | |
| PUB | used from 594 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| ALS | used from 693 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 210/32 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/49 -20° | 230/78 -30° | 240/74 -36° | 240/61 -47° | |||
| ABQ | used from 743 nm out; 84 nm from the line | 200/28 13° | 210/28 5° | 210/44 -7° | 230/46 -20° | 230/80 -28° | 240/74 -35° | 240/58 -47° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | departure | no report just now | 841 ft | ||||
| JYG St James, MN | 79 nm out, 5 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,067 ft | ||||
| ISB Sibley, IA | 139 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,537 ft | ||||
| SUX Sioux City, IA | 198 nm out, 24 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,098 ft | ||||
| BVN Albion, NE | 287 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | no report just now | 1,806 ft | ||||
| CSB Cambridge, NE | 416 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 2,414 ft | ||||
| GLD Goodland, KS | 505 nm out, 9 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,657 ft | ||||
| LAA Lamar, CO | 594 nm out, 14 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 3,705 ft | ||||
| LHX La Junta, CO | 614 nm out, 14 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 4,228 ft | ||||
| RTN Raton, NM | 703 nm out, 7 nm south of the line | no report just now | 6,352 ft | ||||
| SAF Santa Fe, NM | 812 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,348 ft | ||||
| ABQ Albuquerque, NM | destination | no report just now | 5,354 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,352 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ABQ when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:32 am MDT (10:32 UTC)
ABQ has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at ABQ 6:35 pm MDT (00:35 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:01 pm MDT (01:01 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ABQ is before sunrise there (7:09 am MDT (13:09 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: Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Albuquerque International Sunport.