Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Chicago/Rockford International MSP → RFD
241 nautical miles (278 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 131°, about 131° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 1 h 15 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 73-knot tailwind), arriving about 8:02 pm CDT (01:02 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots; RFD is VFR, wind from the south (170°) at 5 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: 735 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
- B39M at 34,000 ft, 40 nm southwest, 6:25 pm CDT (23:25 UTC): light chop turbulence. At the departure end, 40 nm southwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
MSP UA /OV MSP240040/TM 2325/FL340/TP B39M/TB LGT CHOP
- Report
- a routine report filed through MSP
- Where
- 40 nm southwest (240°) of MSP
- Time
- 23:25 UTC
- Height
- at 34,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- light chop
- B39M at 35,000 ft, 31 nm northwest, 3:51 pm CDT (20:51 UTC): light chop turbulence above 33,000 ft. At the departure end, 31 nm northwest of the line.
as filed, and in English
CFE UA /OV CFE/TM 2051/FL350/TP B39M/TB OCNL LGT CHOP 330/CONS LGT OCNL MOD 350
- Report
- a routine report filed through CFE
- Where
- over CFE
- Time
- 20:51 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B39M
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop 330/CONS light occasional moderate at 35,000 ft
- B737 at 32,000 ft, 45 nm northeast, 5:42 pm CDT (22:42 UTC): light clear-air turbulence. 203 nm along the route, 45 nm northeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
UES UA /OV BAE270030/TM 2242/FL320/TP B737/TB OCNL LGT CAT
- Report
- a routine report filed through UES
- Where
- 30 nm west (270°) of BAE
- Time
- 22:42 UTC
- Height
- at 32,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Turbulence
- occasional light clear-air turbulence
- C17 at 500 ft, 38 nm southeast, 4:15 pm CDT (21:15 UTC): overcast above 500 ft. At the destination end, 38 nm southeast of the line.
as filed, and in English
KADW UA /OV 1L ARR/TM 2115/FL005/TP C17/SK OVC005
- Report
- a routine report filed through KADW
- Where
- 1L arrival
- Time
- 21:15 UTC
- Height
- at 500 ft
- Aircraft
- C17
- Sky
- overcast from 500 ft
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 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 3 forecast points nearest it (MSP, LSE, DBQ). 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 | 220° at 27 kt | +1 kt | 119 kt | 2 h 02 min | 8:49 pm CDT (01:49 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | −8 kt | 128 kt | 1 h 53 min | 8:40 pm CDT (01:40 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −9 kt | 14 °C | 129 kt | 1 h 52 min | 8:39 pm CDT (01:39 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 19 kt | −8 kt | 9 °C | 128 kt | 1 h 53 min | 8:40 pm CDT (01:40 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −8 kt | 6 °C | 128 kt | 1 h 53 min | 8:40 pm CDT (01:40 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 16 kt | −10 kt | 2 °C | 130 kt | 1 h 51 min | 8:38 pm CDT (01:38 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 270° at 18 kt | −13 kt | -3 °C | 133 kt | 1 h 49 min | 8:36 pm CDT (01:36 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 270° at 19 kt | −15 kt | -8 °C | 135 kt | 1 h 47 min | 8:34 pm CDT (01:34 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 270° at 20 kt | −16 kt | -9 °C | 136 kt | 1 h 46 min | 8:33 pm CDT (01:33 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 280° at 30 kt | −26 kt | -20 °C | 146 kt | 1 h 39 min | 8:26 pm CDT (01:26 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 300° at 43 kt | −42 kt | -35 °C | 162 kt | 1 h 29 min | 8:16 pm CDT (01:16 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 310° at 54 kt | −55 kt | -45 °C | 175 kt | 1 h 23 min | 8:10 pm CDT (01:10 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 300° at 76 kt | −73 kt | -53 °C | 193 kt | 1 h 15 min | 8:02 pm CDT (01:02 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; 24 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° |
| LSE | used from 48 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 220/33 | 250/29 17° | 250/15 9° | 260/12 6° | 280/21 -9° | 280/33 -20° | 300/43 -36° | 310/56 -45° | 300/79 -53° |
| DBQ | used from 145 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 220/23 | 240/22 16° | 240/24 10° | 260/18 5° | 270/16 -8° | 290/27 -19° | 310/42 -35° | 320/55 -44° | 300/71 -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 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | 25,000 ft | 841 ft | 5:53 pm CDT (22:53 UTC) |
| RGK Red Wing, MN | 39 nm out, 8 nm north of the line | VFR | from the south-southeast (150°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 778 ft | 23:35 UTC |
| RST Rochester, MN | 58 nm out, 24 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (180°) at 10 knots | 7 mi | none | 1,317 ft | 22:54 UTC |
| LSE La Crosse, WI | 106 nm out, 11 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR | from the south-southwest (200°) at 7 knots | 10+ mi | none | 655 ft | 22:53 UTC |
| OVS Boscobel, WI | 154 nm out, 6 nm west of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 672 ft | 22:53 UTC |
| MRJ Mineral Point, WI | 174 nm out, 5 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,170 ft | ||||
| JVL Janesville, WI | 222 nm out, 21 nm northeast of the line, tower | VFR Sky: scattered clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 807 ft | 22:45 UTC |
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | destination | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south (170°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | none | 742 ft | 5:54 pm CDT (22:54 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 RFD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 8:02 pm CDT (01:02 UTC)
Wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for RFD
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, gusting to 22, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 pm CDT (23:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 12 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 12,000 feet
The forecast for MSP, the departure
- From Sun 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south 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
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 6:35 pm CDT (23:35 UTC), at RFD 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at RFD is after sunset there (6:21 pm CDT (23:21 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, Chicago/Rockford International.