Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International MSP → MSY
905 nautical miles (1,041 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 170°, about 170° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 17 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 24-knot tailwind), arriving about 9:22 am CDT (14:22 UTC). Right now MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots; MSY is VFR, wind calm. 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: 1,053 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 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 70 to 368 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 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 02:00–09:00 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 10 forecast points nearest it (MSP, MCW, DSM, BRL, COU, SGF, MEM, LIT, JAN, MSY). 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 | 230° at 24 kt | +13 kt | 107 kt | 8 h 27 min | 11:32 am CDT (16:32 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 22 kt | +8 kt | 112 kt | 8 h 05 min | 11:10 am CDT (16:10 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | +4 kt | 14 °C | 116 kt | 7 h 48 min | 10:53 am CDT (15:53 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 260° at 15 kt | +1 kt | 11 °C | 119 kt | 7 h 36 min | 10:41 am CDT (15:41 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | −1 kt | 7 °C | 121 kt | 7 h 29 min | 10:34 am CDT (15:34 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 270° at 14 kt | −1 kt | 3 °C | 121 kt | 7 h 29 min | 10:34 am CDT (15:34 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | −2 kt | -1 °C | 122 kt | 7 h 25 min | 10:30 am CDT (15:30 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | −2 kt | -5 °C | 122 kt | 7 h 25 min | 10:30 am CDT (15:30 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 19 kt | −2 kt | -6 °C | 122 kt | 7 h 25 min | 10:30 am CDT (15:30 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 26 kt | −7 kt | -18 °C | 127 kt | 7 h 08 min | 10:13 am CDT (15:13 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 280° at 33 kt | −11 kt | -32 °C | 131 kt | 6 h 55 min | 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 280° at 42 kt | −17 kt | -41 °C | 137 kt | 6 h 36 min | 9:41 am CDT (14:41 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 290° at 45 kt | −24 kt | -52 °C | 144 kt | 6 h 17 min | 9:22 am CDT (14:22 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 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 | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
| MCW | used from 50 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| DSM | used from 149 nm out; 58 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| BRL | used from 249 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 230/24 | 240/29 15° | 290/16 10° | 280/15 4° | 260/23 -7° | 260/32 -19° | 260/36 -33° | 280/48 -41° | 280/59 -52° |
| COU | used from 298 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| SGF | used from 447 nm out; 89 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -51° |
| MEM | used from 497 nm out; 102 nm from the line | 230/19 | 260/16 15° | 270/17 12° | 300/13 6° | 300/15 -5° | 300/26 -18° | 300/34 -32° | 300/41 -40° | 310/46 -52° |
| LIT | used from 597 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 220/21 | 230/17 16° | 250/24 12° | 260/15 7° | 260/13 -5° | 280/25 -16° | 290/35 -30° | 300/42 -40° | 300/40 -52° |
| JAN | used from 696 nm out; 56 nm from the line | 230/10 | 270/13 18° | 270/11 12° | 310/11 6° | 300/15 -4° | 300/22 -16° | 310/33 -31° | 320/37 -41° | 330/41 -52° |
| MSY | used from 845 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 110/5 | 150/6 19° | L/V 12° | 310/5 7° | 310/13 -4° | 290/20 -16° | 330/36 -31° | 330/37 -41° | 350/43 -52° |
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 broken layer at 18,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 18,000 ft | 841 ft | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
| RST Rochester, MN | 60 nm out, 21 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 12 knots | 9 mi | none | 1,317 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| ALO Waterloo, IA | 139 nm out, 13 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (170°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 873 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| OTM Ottumwa, IA | 229 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 845 ft | ||||
| MYJ Mexico, MO | 348 nm out, 6 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 822 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| JEF Jefferson City, MO | 378 nm out, 16 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the east (100°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 549 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| CVK Ash Flat, AR | 527 nm out, 10 nm west of the line | no report just now | 717 ft | ||||
| DRP Colt, AR | 597 nm out, 16 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 238 ft | 07:50 UTC |
| GLH Greenville, MS | 696 nm out, 8 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 130 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| HKS Jackson, MS | 766 nm out, 22 nm east of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 341 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| HDC Hammond, LA | 875 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 46 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| MSY New Orleans, LA | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 3 ft | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,317 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 9:22 am CDT (14:22 UTC)
Wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MSY
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
The forecast for MSP, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 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 19 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 9 nm from the route, 348 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
Daylight
Sunset at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC), at MSY 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm CDT (23:57 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: Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International.