Phoenix Sky Harbor International to Joe Foss Field PHX → FSD
939 nautical miles (1,080 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 045°, about 033° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 45 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 78-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:25 am CDT (15:25 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: 1,310 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 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 90 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 30 to 120 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 50 to 549 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Near the route, 60 nm along the route.
- 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 80 to 150 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 240 to 489 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 429 to 579 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 739 to 889 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 759 to 879 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 PHX.
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 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 9 forecast points nearest it (PHX, PRC, FMN, ALS, PUB, DEN, GLD, ONL, FSD). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7,500 ft | 240° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 11 °C | 145 kt | 6 h 29 min | 12:09 pm CDT (17:09 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 25 kt | −25 kt | 9 °C | 145 kt | 6 h 29 min | 12:09 pm CDT (17:09 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −29 kt | 5 °C | 149 kt | 6 h 18 min | 11:58 am CDT (16:58 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 33 kt | −33 kt | 1 °C | 153 kt | 6 h 08 min | 11:48 am CDT (16:48 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 38 kt | −38 kt | -3 °C | 158 kt | 5 h 57 min | 11:37 am CDT (16:37 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 42 kt | −42 kt | -8 °C | 162 kt | 5 h 48 min | 11:28 am CDT (16:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 43 kt | −43 kt | -9 °C | 163 kt | 5 h 46 min | 11:26 am CDT (16:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 230° at 53 kt | −53 kt | -21 °C | 173 kt | 5 h 26 min | 11:06 am CDT (16:06 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 70 kt | −71 kt | -30 °C | 191 kt | 4 h 55 min | 10:35 am CDT (15:35 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 78 kt | −78 kt | -35 °C | 198 kt | 4 h 45 min | 10:25 am CDT (15:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 73 kt | −73 kt | -47 °C | 193 kt | 4 h 52 min | 10:32 am CDT (15:32 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 190/15 | 210/25 12° | 200/34 4° | 200/34 2° | 220/58 -9° | 220/75 -19° | 220/91 -28° | 220/100 -35° | 220/95 -47° |
| PRC | used from 100 nm out; 110 nm from the line | 200/37 6° | 200/35 0° | 220/60 -11° | 220/71 -20° | 220/88 -29° | 220/98 -35° | 220/94 -45° | ||
| FMN | used from 150 nm out; 98 nm from the line | 220/16 6° | 220/39 1° | 220/50 -10° | 230/67 -23° | 230/94 -29° | 230/102 -35° | 230/90 -46° | ||
| ALS | used from 349 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 240/35 3° | 230/54 -9° | 240/66 -19° | 230/85 -26° | 240/87 -34° | 240/70 -47° | |||
| PUB | used from 449 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 260/45 11° | 240/38 6° | 230/47 -8° | 230/51 -19° | 240/74 -29° | 240/82 -35° | 250/72 -48° | ||
| DEN | used from 499 nm out; 43 nm from the line | 270/24 11° | 230/13 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/46 -20° | 230/63 -30° | 240/78 -36° | 240/78 -48° | ||
| GLD | used from 599 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 260/37 | 260/25 14° | 250/27 8° | 230/36 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 250/71 -30° | 260/82 -36° | 250/73 -48° | |
| ONL | used from 699 nm out; 106 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° | |
| FSD | used from 899 nm out; 20 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHX Phoenix, AZ | departure | no report just now | 1,134 ft | ||||
| PAN Payson, AZ | 60 nm out, 12 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 5,160 ft | ||||
| TYL Taylor, AZ | 110 nm out, 22 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 5,823 ft | ||||
| FMN Farmington, NM | 270 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,506 ft | ||||
| PSO Pagosa Springs, CO | 339 nm out, 4 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 7,663 ft | ||||
| RCV Del Norte, CO | 379 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | no report just now | 7,955 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | 479 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,187 ft | ||||
| HEQ Holyoke, CO | 629 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,729 ft | ||||
| GGF Grant, NE | 659 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 3,424 ft | ||||
| ONL O'Neill, NE | 829 nm out, 4 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,033 ft | ||||
| AGZ Wagner, SD | 869 nm out, 15 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,477 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | destination | no report just now | 1,430 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,955 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At FSD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:25 am CDT (15:25 UTC)
FSD has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 21 nm from the route, 459 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
Daylight
Sunset at PHX 5:57 pm MST (00:57 UTC), at FSD 6:49 pm CDT (23:49 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:17 pm CDT (00:17 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: Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Joe Foss Field.