Chicago O'Hare International to Salt Lake City International ORD → SLC
1,083 nautical miles (1,246 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 274°, about 277° magnetic at the departure end (variation 3W). At 120 knots that is 11 h 03 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 22-knot headwind), arriving about 7:08 pm MDT (01:08 UTC), after sunset at the destination. 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: 6,355 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
- SIGMET W27W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the west at 45 knots, until 10:55 am CDT (15:55 UTC). Over the last 50 nm of the route.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 121355 MKCW WST 121355 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 27W VALID UNTIL 1555Z WY UT ID FROM 40E PIH-20NW BPI-50E SLC-20SW SLC-40E PIH DMSHG AREA TS MOV FROM 26045KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- 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 477 to 715 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 route from 705 to 934 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 765 to 855 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 248 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 229 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 ORD.
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 8 forecast points nearest it (JOT, DBQ, DSM, OMA, ONL, BFF, RKS, SLC). 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 27 kt | +26 kt | 22 °C | 94 kt | 11 h 31 min | 7:36 pm MDT (01:36 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 250° at 25 kt | +25 kt | 18 °C | 95 kt | 11 h 24 min | 7:29 pm MDT (01:29 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | +22 kt | 14 °C | 98 kt | 11 h 03 min | 7:08 pm MDT (01:08 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 240° at 26 kt | +23 kt | 8 °C | 97 kt | 11 h 10 min | 7:15 pm MDT (01:15 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 240° at 28 kt | +24 kt | 3 °C | 96 kt | 11 h 17 min | 7:22 pm MDT (01:22 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | +24 kt | -2 °C | 96 kt | 11 h 17 min | 7:22 pm MDT (01:22 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +24 kt | -7 °C | 96 kt | 11 h 17 min | 7:22 pm MDT (01:22 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 30 kt | +25 kt | -11 °C | 95 kt | 11 h 24 min | 7:29 pm MDT (01:29 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 41 kt | +35 kt | -22 °C | 85 kt | 12 h 44 min | 8:49 pm MDT (02:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 48 kt | +45 kt | -33 °C | 75 kt | 14 h 26 min | 10:31 pm MDT (04:31 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 51 kt | +50 kt | -37 °C | 70 kt | 15 h 28 min | 11:33 pm MDT (05:33 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 51 kt | +52 kt | -46 °C | 68 kt | 15 h 56 min | 12:01 am MDT (06:01 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JOT | used from 0 nm out; 32 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° |
| DBQ | used from 50 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° |
| DSM | used from 199 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 250/47 | 260/25 20° | 240/19 11° | 240/31 5° | 250/26 -9° | 260/38 -20° | 260/47 -34° | 270/58 -37° | 270/61 -47° |
| OMA | used from 298 nm out; 61 nm from the line | 230/47 | 240/33 21° | 230/22 13° | 220/27 5° | 240/35 -8° | 250/43 -21° | 260/47 -33° | 260/59 -36° | 270/58 -46° |
| ONL | used from 397 nm out; 62 nm from the line | 250/31 22° | 230/27 16° | 220/25 8° | 230/25 -9° | 220/29 -22° | 250/42 -33° | 250/48 -36° | 250/52 -46° | |
| BFF | used from 596 nm out; 79 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 845 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 250/9 | 230/21 -1° | 210/43 -14° | 220/59 -23° | 220/55 -32° | 220/53 -35° | 220/48 -44° | ||
| SLC | used from 994 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 200/16 | 210/23 4° | 220/34 -3° | 210/40 -16° | 220/66 -23° | 220/64 -31° | 220/57 -36° | 220/50 -43° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORD Chicago, IL | departure | no report just now | 680 ft | ||||
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | 50 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 742 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 169 nm out, 15 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| MIW Marshalltown, IA | 219 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 974 ft | ||||
| SUX Sioux City, IA | 378 nm out, 16 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,098 ft | ||||
| BUB Burwell, NE | 507 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,183 ft | ||||
| TIF Thedford, NE | 566 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,925 ft | ||||
| BFF Scottsbluff, NE | 696 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 3,967 ft | ||||
| SAA Saratoga, WY | 845 nm out, 3 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 7,014 ft | ||||
| DWX Dixon, WY | 884 nm out, 22 nm south of the line | no report just now | 6,548 ft | ||||
| EVW Evanston, WY | 1033 nm out, 20 nm north of the line | no report just now | 7,142 ft | ||||
| SLC Salt Lake City, UT | destination | no report just now | 4,230 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,142 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SLC when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:08 pm MDT (01:08 UTC)
SLC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
No temporary flight restriction on or near this route right now.
Daylight
Sunset at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC), at SLC 6:50 pm MDT (00:50 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm MDT (01:18 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at SLC is after sunset there (6:52 pm MDT (00:52 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: Chicago O'Hare International, Salt Lake City International.