Plan a flight · Mon 7:10 am CDT (12:10 UTC)

Pensacola International to William P Hobby Airport PNS → HOU

423 nautical miles (487 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 265°, about 267° magnetic at the departure end (variation 2W). At 120 knots that is 3 h 28 min at the quickest height in today's winds (4,500 ft, a 2-knot tailwind), arriving about 10:38 am CDT (15:38 UTC). Right now PNS is VFR, wind from the north-northwest (340°) at 6 knots; HOU is VFR, wind from the southeast (130°) at 6 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: 696 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: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, mist, fog). Over the route from 20 to 276 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 PNS.

Pilot reports along the route within 50 nm of the line, last three hours, the serious ones first

B737 at 40,000 ft, 22 nm north, 6:48 am CDT (11:48 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 59 nm along the route, 22 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MOB UA /OV KSJI069043/TM 1148/FL400/TP B737/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through MOB
Where
43 nm east (069°) of KSJI
Time
11:48 UTC
Height
at 40,000 ft
Aircraft
B737
Turbulence
occasional light chop
Remarks
zhu
C25A at 41,000 ft, 5 nm north, 6:05 am CDT (11:05 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 118 nm along the route, 5 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
HSA UA /OV KPCU314014/TM 1105/FL410/TP C25A/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through HSA
Where
14 nm northwest (314°) of KPCU
Time
11:05 UTC
Height
at 41,000 ft
Aircraft
C25A
Turbulence
occasional light chop
Remarks
zhu
B738 at 40,000 ft, 14 nm south, 6:03 am CDT (11:03 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: zhu. 157 nm along the route, 14 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MSY UA /OV KHRV067024/TM 1103/FL400/TP B738/TB CONS LGT CHOP/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through MSY
Where
24 nm northeast (067°) of KHRV
Time
11:03 UTC
Height
at 40,000 ft
Aircraft
B738
Turbulence
continuous light chop
Remarks
zhu
B738 at 36,000 ft, 14 nm south, 5:58 am CDT (10:58 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: zhu. 157 nm along the route, 14 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
MSY UA /OV KHRV339030/TM 1058/FL360/TP B738/TB NEG/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through MSY
Where
30 nm north (339°) of KHRV
Time
10:58 UTC
Height
at 36,000 ft
Aircraft
B738
Turbulence
none
Remarks
zhu
A21N at 34,000 ft, 24 nm north, 6:37 am CDT (11:37 UTC): no turbulence, remarks: zhu. 207 nm along the route, 24 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
BTR UA /OV KBTR/TM 1137/FL340/TP A21N/TB NEG/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through BTR
Where
over KBTR
Time
11:37 UTC
Height
at 34,000 ft
Aircraft
A21N
Turbulence
none
Remarks
zhu
SF30 at 21,000 ft, 19 nm north, 4:35 am CDT (09:35 UTC): light rime icing, -10 °C, remarks: zhu. At the destination end, 19 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
```
IAH UA /OV DAS02002/TM 0935/FL210/TP SF30/TA M10/IC LGT RIME/RM ZHU
```
Report
a routine report filed through IAH
Where
DAS02002
Time
09:35 UTC
Height
at 21,000 ft
Aircraft
SF30
Temperature
−10 °C
Icing
light rime
Remarks
zhu

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 4 forecast points nearest it (MOB, MSY, LCH, HOU). 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	160° at 12 kt	−2 kt		122 kt	3 h 28 min	10:38 am CDT (15:38 UTC)
6,500 ft	160° at 10 kt	−2 kt	17 °C	122 kt	3 h 28 min	10:38 am CDT (15:38 UTC)
8,500 ft	160° at 4 kt	−1 kt	14 °C	121 kt	3 h 30 min	10:40 am CDT (15:40 UTC)
10,500 ft	160° at 2 kt	−1 kt	10 °C	121 kt	3 h 30 min	10:40 am CDT (15:40 UTC)
12,500 ft	light and variable	+1 kt	6 °C	119 kt	3 h 33 min	10:43 am CDT (15:43 UTC)
14,500 ft	300° at 4 kt	+3 kt	1 °C	117 kt	3 h 37 min	10:47 am CDT (15:47 UTC)
16,500 ft	300° at 8 kt	+6 kt	-2 °C	114 kt	3 h 43 min	10:53 am CDT (15:53 UTC)
18,000 ft FL180	310° at 11 kt	+8 kt	-6 °C	112 kt	3 h 47 min	10:57 am CDT (15:57 UTC)
24,000 ft FL240	300° at 16 kt	+12 kt	-15 °C	108 kt	3 h 55 min	11:05 am CDT (16:05 UTC)
30,000 ft FL300	320° at 28 kt	+15 kt	-31 °C	105 kt	4 h 02 min	11:12 am CDT (16:12 UTC)
34,000 ft FL340	340° at 30 kt	+8 kt	-40 °C	112 kt	3 h 47 min	10:57 am CDT (15:57 UTC)
39,000 ft FL390	340° at 36 kt	+5 kt	-52 °C	115 kt	3 h 41 min	10:51 am CDT (15:51 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
MOB	used from 0 nm out; 34 nm from the line	L/V	L/V 18°	020/8 11°	L/V 6°	330/12 -5°	330/23 -17°	330/30 -32°	350/39 -41°	340/40 -53°
MSY	used from 98 nm out; 41 nm from the line	150/9	140/8 18°	L/V 13°	L/V 6°	320/15 -5°	310/16 -16°	320/32 -31°	340/35 -40°	350/34 -52°
LCH	used from 246 nm out; 45 nm from the line	170/21	160/23 18°	170/13 13°	170/6 8°	300/12 -7°	280/16 -14°	320/27 -30°	330/23 -41°	340/38 -51°
HOU	used from 345 nm out; 54 nm from the line	180/22	180/20 16°	170/7 15°	L/V 8°	220/11 -6°	260/15 -13°	310/20 -30°	320/20 -40°	350/32 -51°

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
PNS Pensacola, FL	departure	VFR	from the north-northwest (340°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	none	120 ft	6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)
JKA Gulf Shores, AL	30 nm out, 10 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	17 ft	11:55 UTC
PQL Pascagoula, MS	69 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower	VFR Weather: mist	calm	6 mi	none	16 ft	11:53 UTC
HSA Bay St Louis, MS	118 nm out, 5 nm north of the line, tower	low IFR	calm	0.5 mi	none	22 ft	11:50 UTC
NEW New Orleans, LA	148 nm out, 12 nm south of the line, tower	VFR	from the north (360°) at 3 knots	10+ mi	none	7 ft	11:53 UTC
BTR Baton Rouge, LA	207 nm out, 24 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	calm	9 mi	none	69 ft	11:53 UTC
ARA New Iberia, LA	246 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line, tower	VFR	calm	10+ mi	none	24 ft	11:53 UTC
IYA Abbeville, LA	256 nm out, 3 nm south of the line	low IFR Weather: mist	calm	0.75 mi	none	15 ft	11:55 UTC
LCH Lake Charles, LA	315 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	from the east-southeast (110°) at 5 knots	10+ mi	none	14 ft	11:53 UTC
BPT Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX	354 nm out, 9 nm north of the line, tower	VFR	from the southeast (130°) at 7 knots	10+ mi	none	14 ft	11:53 UTC
HPY Baytown, TX	404 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line	no report just now				33 ft
HOU Houston, TX	destination	VFR Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 feet, a broken layer at 23,000 feet	from the southeast (130°) at 6 knots	10+ mi	23,000 ft	46 ft	6:53 am CDT (11:53 UTC)

The highest airport on this list sits at 120 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.

At HOU when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 10:38 am CDT (15:38 UTC)

Wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet VFR

The whole forecast for HOU

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 2,500 feet, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 3,500 feet, a broken layer at 25,000 feet
30% chance between Mon 12:00 pm CDT (17:00 UTC) and 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): light rain showers
From Mon 3:00 pm CDT (20:00 UTC): wind from the southeast at 13 knots, gusting to 21, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 10,000 feet
From Mon 9:00 pm CDT (02:00 UTC): wind from the south-southeast at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, overcast at 5,000 feet

The forecast for PNS, the departure

From Mon 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 5 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 9:00 am CDT (14:00 UTC): wind from the north at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 1:00 pm CDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies

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 PNS 6:21 pm CDT (23:21 UTC), at HOU 6:54 pm CDT (23:54 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:18 pm CDT (00:18 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

Radar now, the Southeast · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the lower Mississippi valley · loop National Weather Service

Radar now, the southern Plains · loop National Weather Service

Radar, the whole country · loop National Weather Service

Surface analysis now Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 12 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

Forecast chart, 24 hours ahead Weather Prediction Center

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: Pensacola International, William P Hobby Airport.