Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport to Shively Field MSP → SAA
630 nautical miles (725 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 256°, about 256° magnetic at the departure end (variation 0E). At 120 knots that is 6 h 14 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 19-knot headwind), arriving about 2:23 pm MDT (20:23 UTC). 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 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 route from 50 to 520 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) from 34,000 ft to 43,000 ft. Over the last 130 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the last 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 20 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Near the route, at the destination end.
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 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 6 forecast points nearest it (MSP, FSD, PIR, RAP, BFF, RKS). 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 | 250° at 20 kt | +19 kt | 15 °C | 101 kt | 6 h 14 min | 2:23 pm MDT (20:23 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | +22 kt | 17 °C | 98 kt | 6 h 26 min | 2:35 pm MDT (20:35 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 26 kt | +26 kt | 14 °C | 94 kt | 6 h 42 min | 2:51 pm MDT (20:51 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | +27 kt | 9 °C | 93 kt | 6 h 46 min | 2:55 pm MDT (20:55 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +27 kt | 4 °C | 93 kt | 6 h 46 min | 2:55 pm MDT (20:55 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +27 kt | -2 °C | 93 kt | 6 h 46 min | 2:55 pm MDT (20:55 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 220° at 29 kt | +26 kt | -7 °C | 94 kt | 6 h 42 min | 2:51 pm MDT (20:51 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 30 kt | +26 kt | -10 °C | 94 kt | 6 h 42 min | 2:51 pm MDT (20:51 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 39 kt | +35 kt | -22 °C | 85 kt | 7 h 25 min | 3:34 pm MDT (21:34 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 44 kt | +44 kt | -34 °C | 76 kt | 8 h 17 min | 4:26 pm MDT (22:26 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 48 kt | +49 kt | -37 °C | 71 kt | 8 h 52 min | 5:01 pm MDT (23:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 53 kt | +53 kt | -46 °C | 67 kt | 9 h 24 min | 5:33 pm MDT (23:33 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° |
| FSD | used from 100 nm out; 54 nm from the line | 210/20 | 230/23 21° | 220/25 14° | 230/30 5° | 230/26 -9° | 240/30 -21° | 270/33 -36° | 260/47 -37° | 270/58 -47° |
| PIR | used from 250 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| RAP | used from 350 nm out; 91 nm from the line | 250/28 16° | 260/31 10° | 240/25 4° | 210/35 -10° | 200/45 -23° | 230/47 -31° | 230/47 -36° | 230/51 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 400 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 280/28 | 260/39 11° | 240/34 5° | 210/38 -11° | 210/52 -22° | 230/61 -31° | 230/61 -36° | 240/56 -45° | |
| RKS | used from 600 nm out; 114 nm from the line | 250/9 | 230/21 -1° | 210/43 -14° | 220/59 -23° | 220/55 -32° | 220/53 -35° | 220/48 -44° |
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 | ||||
| GYL Glencoe, MN | 40 nm out, 3 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 992 ft | ||||
| RWF Redwood Falls, MN | 80 nm out, 2 nm west of the line | no report just now | 1,023 ft | ||||
| MDS Madison, SD | 170 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 1,718 ft | ||||
| MHE Mitchell, SD | 220 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,304 ft | ||||
| ICR Winner, SD | 300 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,032 ft | ||||
| SUO Rosebud, SD | 340 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 2,724 ft | ||||
| GRN Gordon, NE | 410 nm out, 4 nm east of the line | no report just now | 3,562 ft | ||||
| GUR Guernsey, WY | 520 nm out, 10 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,401 ft | ||||
| SAA Saratoga, WY | destination | no report just now | 7,014 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,014 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SAA when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 2:23 pm MDT (20:23 UTC)
SAA 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 SAA 6:29 pm MDT (00:29 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm MDT (00:57 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, Shively Field.