Plan a flight · Mon 7:19 am CDT (12:19 UTC)

Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Gary/Chicago International MSP → GYY

321 nautical miles (369 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 126°, about 126° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 48 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 58-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:07 am CDT (14:07 UTC). Right now MSP is VFR, wind from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots; GYY is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 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: 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

No SIGMET or AIRMET covers any part of this route right now.

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

B739 at 34,000 ft, 45 nm northeast, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence. 233 nm along the route, 45 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
UES UA /OV BAE/TM 1058/FL340/TP B739/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through UES
Where
over BAE
Time
10:58 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
B739
Turbulence
none
CRJ9 at 38,000 ft, 38 nm southeast, 6:06 am CDT (11:06 UTC): no turbulence. At the destination end, 38 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
OXI UA /OV OXI/TM 1106/FL380/TP CRJ9/TB NEG
```
Report
a routine report filed through OXI
Where
over OXI
Time
11:06 UTC
Height
at 38,000 ft
Aircraft
CRJ9
Turbulence
none

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 eastbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: odd 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 (MSP, LSE, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.

Height	Average wind	Head- or tailwind	Temperature	Ground speed	Time en route	Arrival
3,500 ft	250° at 23 kt	−13 kt		133 kt	2 h 25 min	9:44 am CDT (14:44 UTC)
5,500 ft	250° at 21 kt	−12 kt		132 kt	2 h 26 min	9:45 am CDT (14:45 UTC)
7,500 ft	250° at 23 kt	−11 kt	14 °C	131 kt	2 h 27 min	9:46 am CDT (14:46 UTC)
9,500 ft	240° at 25 kt	−11 kt	9 °C	131 kt	2 h 27 min	9:46 am CDT (14:46 UTC)
11,500 ft	250° at 26 kt	−16 kt	6 °C	136 kt	2 h 22 min	9:41 am CDT (14:41 UTC)
13,500 ft	260° at 26 kt	−18 kt	1 °C	138 kt	2 h 20 min	9:39 am CDT (14:39 UTC)
15,500 ft	270° at 26 kt	−20 kt	-4 °C	140 kt	2 h 18 min	9:37 am CDT (14:37 UTC)
17,500 ft	280° at 26 kt	−22 kt	-8 °C	142 kt	2 h 16 min	9:35 am CDT (14:35 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	280° at 26 kt	−23 kt	-9 °C	143 kt	2 h 15 min	9:34 am CDT (14:34 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	280° at 34 kt	−30 kt	-21 °C	150 kt	2 h 08 min	9:27 am CDT (14:27 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	270° at 38 kt	−29 kt	-36 °C	149 kt	2 h 09 min	9:28 am CDT (14:28 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	280° at 50 kt	−43 kt	-42 °C	163 kt	1 h 58 min	9:17 am CDT (14:17 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	290° at 62 kt	−58 kt	-48 °C	178 kt	1 h 48 min	9:07 am CDT (14:07 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; 24 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°
LSE	used from 49 nm out; 31 nm from the line	250/25	240/21 17°	240/28 11°	250/28 5°	280/24 -10°	280/31 -21°	260/35 -37°	270/45 -43°	280/59 -47°
DBQ	used from 146 nm out; 55 nm from the line	250/27	260/23 17°	240/26 10°	260/30 4°	280/26 -9°	280/36 -21°	270/41 -36°	280/52 -41°	290/67 -48°
JOT	used from 243 nm out; 40 nm from the line	250/25	260/22 14°	250/17 9°	270/21 5°	280/28 -8°	280/36 -20°	270/41 -35°	280/57 -42°	290/65 -50°

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	from the southwest (220°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	841 ft	6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)
RGK Red Wing, MN	39 nm out, 5 nm north of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	778 ft	12:15 UTC
ONA Winona, MN	78 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	656 ft	11:55 UTC
LSE La Crosse, WI	107 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 10 knots	10+ mi	none	655 ft	11:53 UTC
OVS Boscobel, WI	146 nm out, 18 nm southwest of the line	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	672 ft	11:53 UTC
MSN Madison, WI	194 nm out, 18 nm northeast of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 24,000 feet	from the south (190°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	24,000 ft	886 ft	11:53 UTC
JVL Janesville, WI	223 nm out, 3 nm east of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 20,000 feet	from the south (190°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	20,000 ft	807 ft	11:45 UTC
RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL	243 nm out, 21 nm southwest of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet	from the south-southeast (150°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	25,000 ft	742 ft	11:54 UTC
MDW Chicago, IL	301 nm out, 2 nm south of the line, tower	VFR Sky: a broken layer at 25,000 feet	from the south-southwest (210°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	25,000 ft	619 ft	11:53 UTC
GYY Gary/Chicago, IN	destination	VFR	from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots	10+ mi	none	596 ft	6:50 am CDT (11:50 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 886 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At GYY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:07 am CDT (14:07 UTC)

Wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for GYY

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 23, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
From Mon 11:00 pm CDT (04:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 11 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 10,000 feet
From Tue 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind from the west at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet

The forecast for MSP, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 20,000 feet
From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the west at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 5,000 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 3,500 feet
From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast 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 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 GYY 6:13 pm CDT (23:13 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:41 pm CDT (23:41 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

Radar now, the upper Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the central Great Lakes · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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, Gary/Chicago International.