Philadelphia International to Salt Lake City International PHL → SLC
1,670 nautical miles (1,922 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 284°, about 296° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12W). At 120 knots that is 16 h 13 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 17-knot headwind), arriving about 7:58 pm MDT (01:58 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: 1,606 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 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist, fog). Over the first 510 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 24,000 ft to 33,000 ft. Over the first 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET SIERRA 4E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, mist). Over the route from 90 to 230 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 6,000 ft. Over the route from 130 to 130 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: 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 700 to 1200 nm out.
- 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 1140 to 1210 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: 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 1310 to 1550 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 1320 to 1630 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 1350 to 1490 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the last 270 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the last 230 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 1440 to 1460 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the last 140 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 PHL.
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 13 forecast points nearest it (ACY, PSB, AGC, CLE, FWA, 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 | 270° at 19 kt | +19 kt | 18 °C | 101 kt | 16 h 32 min | 8:17 pm MDT (02:17 UTC) |
| 6,500 ft | 280° at 17 kt | +18 kt | 15 °C | 102 kt | 16 h 22 min | 8:07 pm MDT (02:07 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 270° at 16 kt | +17 kt | 11 °C | 103 kt | 16 h 13 min | 7:58 pm MDT (01:58 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 260° at 17 kt | +18 kt | 7 °C | 102 kt | 16 h 22 min | 8:07 pm MDT (02:07 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 260° at 19 kt | +20 kt | 2 °C | 100 kt | 16 h 42 min | 8:27 pm MDT (02:27 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 250° at 20 kt | +21 kt | -2 °C | 99 kt | 16 h 52 min | 8:37 pm MDT (02:37 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | +22 kt | -7 °C | 98 kt | 17 h 02 min | 8:47 pm MDT (02:47 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 250° at 22 kt | +23 kt | -10 °C | 97 kt | 17 h 13 min | 8:58 pm MDT (02:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 250° at 29 kt | +31 kt | -21 °C | 89 kt | 18 h 46 min | 10:31 pm MDT (04:31 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 36 kt | +39 kt | -34 °C | 81 kt | 20 h 37 min | 12:22 am MDT (06:22 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 270° at 43 kt | +46 kt | -39 °C | 74 kt | 22 h 34 min | 2:19 am MDT (08:19 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 44 kt | +48 kt | -48 °C | 72 kt | 23 h 12 min | 2:57 am MDT (08:57 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACY | used from 0 nm out; 63 nm from the line | 350/12 | 340/12 11° | 340/12 6° | 340/13 2° | 270/10 -10° | 240/17 -23° | 230/46 -33° | 230/46 -40° | 240/46 -49° |
| PSB | used from 50 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 020/21 12° | 360/28 7° | 360/29 1° | 350/33 -10° | 350/42 -22° | 350/49 -37° | 340/63 -43° | 350/39 -52° | |
| AGC | used from 150 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 340/11 | 350/12 11° | 360/25 7° | 340/30 2° | 340/41 -8° | 340/44 -21° | 350/59 -36° | 340/68 -42° | 340/50 -51° |
| CLE | used from 250 nm out; 48 nm from the line | 310/7 | 350/20 14° | 340/16 9° | 320/21 2° | 320/32 -8° | 330/34 -20° | 330/45 -36° | 320/60 -45° | 320/64 -51° |
| FWA | used from 400 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 270/20 | 300/16 15° | 290/14 10° | 280/17 3° | 290/25 -7° | 280/30 -19° | 280/34 -35° | 290/48 -44° | 300/64 -52° |
| JOT | used from 550 nm out; 22 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 650 nm out; 57 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 750 nm out; 70 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 900 nm out; 37 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 1000 nm out; 57 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 1150 nm out; 113 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 1400 nm out; 111 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 1600 nm out; 45 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHL Philadelphia, PA | departure | no report just now | 35 ft | ||||
| LNS Lancaster, PA | 50 nm out, 3 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 402 ft | ||||
| BVI Beaver Falls, PA | 240 nm out, 3 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,252 ft | ||||
| MFD Mansfield, OH | 340 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,297 ft | ||||
| LOT Chicago/Romeoville, IL | 590 nm out, 5 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 679 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 760 nm out, 9 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 840 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 957 ft | ||||
| BUB Burwell, NE | 1090 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,183 ft | ||||
| BFF Scottsbluff, NE | 1290 nm out, 15 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,967 ft | ||||
| CYS Cheyenne, WY | 1350 nm out, 24 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,159 ft | ||||
| EVW Evanston, WY | 1620 nm out, 22 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, 7:58 pm MDT (01:58 UTC)
SLC has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8587 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local on the route, 240 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
- 6/8829 Youngstown, OH, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 11 nm from the route, 260 nm along the route · a VIP movement · today · ZOB
Daylight
Sunset at PHL 6:26 pm EDT (22:26 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: Philadelphia International, Salt Lake City International.