Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Watertown Regional MSP → ATY
167 nautical miles (192 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 272°, about 272° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 27 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 5-knot headwind), arriving about 7:28 am CDT (12:28 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots; ATY is low IFR, wind from the north-northeast (030°) at 7 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: 720 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 SIERRA 4E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). 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
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 08:00–15:00 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 3 forecast points nearest it (MSP, AXN, ABR). 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 6 kt | +5 kt | 115 kt | 1 h 27 min | 7:28 am CDT (12:28 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 13 kt | +12 kt | 15 °C | 108 kt | 1 h 33 min | 7:34 am CDT (12:34 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | +16 kt | 13 °C | 104 kt | 1 h 36 min | 7:37 am CDT (12:37 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 21 kt | +19 kt | 8 °C | 101 kt | 1 h 39 min | 7:40 am CDT (12:40 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 250° at 23 kt | +21 kt | 4 °C | 99 kt | 1 h 41 min | 7:42 am CDT (12:42 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | +23 kt | -1 °C | 97 kt | 1 h 43 min | 7:44 am CDT (12:44 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 260° at 26 kt | +25 kt | -6 °C | 95 kt | 1 h 45 min | 7:46 am CDT (12:46 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 27 kt | +26 kt | -10 °C | 94 kt | 1 h 47 min | 7:48 am CDT (12:48 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 34 kt | +33 kt | -22 °C | 87 kt | 1 h 55 min | 7:56 am CDT (12:56 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 32 kt | +32 kt | -38 °C | 88 kt | 1 h 54 min | 7:55 am CDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 47 kt | +47 kt | -41 °C | 73 kt | 2 h 17 min | 8:18 am CDT (13:18 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 59 kt | +59 kt | -48 °C | 61 kt | 2 h 44 min | 8:45 am CDT (13:45 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 06:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 12:00 UTC for use 08:00 to 15:00 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 | 250/12 | 250/17 17° | 240/26 12° | 250/26 5° | 280/26 -9° | 280/32 -22° | 270/37 -38° | 280/47 -41° | 280/55 -48° |
| AXN | used from 49 nm out; 60 nm from the line | 110/6 | 260/10 16° | 240/17 12° | 250/20 5° | 260/29 -10° | 260/35 -22° | 260/29 -38° | 270/48 -41° | 270/61 -48° |
| ABR | used from 148 nm out; 71 nm from the line | 080/12 | 210/12 17° | 220/22 12° | 230/26 5° | 220/28 -10° | 230/41 -21° | 250/36 -36° | 260/47 -39° | 260/63 -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 | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 18,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 841 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
| GYL Glencoe, MN | 39 nm out, 9 nm south of the line | VFR | from the west-southwest (240°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 992 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| HCD Hutchinson, MN | 49 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 1,062 ft | 10:51 UTC |
| MVE Montevideo, MN | 108 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northwest (330°) at 6 knots | 0.75 mi | 200 ft | 1,034 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| DXX Madison, MN | 128 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | low IFR Sky: overcast at 200 feet Weather: mist | from the north-northwest (340°) at 7 knots | 3 mi | 200 ft | 1,082 ft | 10:55 UTC |
| ATY Watertown, SD | destination | low IFR Sky: sky obscured at 200 feet Weather: fog | from the north-northeast (030°) at 7 knots | 0.5 mi | 200 ft | 1,749 ft | 5:53 am CDT (10:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,749 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ATY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:28 am CDT (12:28 UTC)
Wind from the north-northeast at 7 knots, visibility ¾ mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet low IFR
At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet low IFR
The whole forecast for ATY
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 7 knots, visibility ¾ mile, mist, overcast at 300 feet
- At times between Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC) and 8:00 am CDT (13:00 UTC): visibility ¼ mile, fog, sky obscured at 200 feet
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the north-northeast at 8 knots, visibility 1 mile, mist, overcast at 400 feet
- From Mon 2:00 pm CDT (19:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 600 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 11 knots, gusting to 17, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 700 feet
The forecast for MSP, the departure
- From Mon 4:00 am CDT (09:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
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 18 nm from the route, 10 nm along the route · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at ATY 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at ATY is before sunrise there (7:40 am CDT (12:40 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, Watertown Regional.