Reno/Tahoe International to Chicago O'Hare International RNO → ORD
1,449 nautical miles (1,667 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 074°, about 061° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 23 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 53-knot tailwind), arriving about 11:29 am CDT (16:29 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: 712 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 TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 50 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 110 to 589 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 160 to 619 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 280 to 729 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 430 to 739 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 549 to 729 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 5W: strong surface winds (30 knots or more) (due to sustained surface winds greater than 30 knots). Over the route from 579 to 609 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 809 to 919 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 3W: 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 869 to 1379 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 RNO.
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 02:00–09:00 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 11 forecast points nearest it (RNO, BAM, ELY, SLC, RKS, BFF, ONL, OMA, DSM, DBQ, JOT). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | −14 kt | 20 °C | 134 kt | 10 h 49 min | 1:55 pm CDT (18:55 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 21 kt | −16 kt | 11 °C | 136 kt | 10 h 39 min | 1:45 pm CDT (18:45 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 21 kt | −16 kt | 7 °C | 136 kt | 10 h 39 min | 1:45 pm CDT (18:45 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 22 kt | −18 kt | 3 °C | 138 kt | 10 h 30 min | 1:36 pm CDT (18:36 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 24 kt | −20 kt | -1 °C | 140 kt | 10 h 21 min | 1:27 pm CDT (18:27 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −21 kt | -5 °C | 141 kt | 10 h 17 min | 1:23 pm CDT (18:23 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 28 kt | −23 kt | -10 °C | 143 kt | 10 h 08 min | 1:14 pm CDT (18:14 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 29 kt | −24 kt | -11 °C | 144 kt | 10 h 04 min | 1:10 pm CDT (18:10 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 35 kt | −29 kt | -22 °C | 149 kt | 9 h 43 min | 12:49 pm CDT (17:49 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 44 kt | −38 kt | -31 °C | 158 kt | 9 h 10 min | 12:16 pm CDT (17:16 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 50 kt | −48 kt | -37 °C | 168 kt | 8 h 38 min | 11:44 am CDT (16:44 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 53 kt | −53 kt | -46 °C | 173 kt | 8 h 23 min | 11:29 am CDT (16:29 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 00:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 06:00 UTC for use 02:00 to 09:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNO | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 010/9 | 320/10 -2° | 210/23 -9° | 210/34 -19° | 220/36 -25° | 230/31 -29° | 230/41 -33° | 230/38 -42° | |
| BAM | used from 100 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| ELY | used from 200 nm out; 70 nm from the line | 200/39 3° | 210/27 -2° | 210/45 -15° | 220/56 -24° | 210/60 -28° | 210/63 -34° | 220/61 -43° | ||
| SLC | used from 300 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 200/5 | 230/8 2° | 220/20 -2° | 210/40 -12° | 190/53 -25° | 210/62 -30° | 220/69 -34° | 220/64 -43° | |
| RKS | used from 450 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 200/41 | 220/44 1° | 220/35 -11° | 220/46 -24° | 210/53 -27° | 220/62 -35° | 230/61 -44° | ||
| BFF | used from 649 nm out; 74 nm from the line | 180/28 | 220/33 15° | 210/31 7° | 230/32 -9° | 220/41 -21° | 220/40 -33° | 240/47 -36° | 250/54 -46° | |
| ONL | used from 849 nm out; 97 nm from the line | 210/31 20° | 230/27 13° | 230/18 7° | 220/19 -8° | 240/26 -20° | 250/44 -35° | 270/52 -39° | 260/57 -47° | |
| OMA | used from 1049 nm out; 57 nm from the line | 220/47 | 240/33 19° | 250/18 11° | 230/17 6° | 260/29 -8° | 250/33 -19° | 250/51 -33° | 260/61 -40° | 270/62 -49° |
| DSM | used from 1149 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| DBQ | used from 1249 nm out; 52 nm from the line | 230/33 | 250/30 16° | 280/15 9° | 260/15 5° | 260/21 -7° | 260/24 -20° | 250/37 -33° | 270/42 -43° | 280/63 -52° |
| JOT | used from 1399 nm out; 32 nm from the line | 250/23 | 270/22 15° | 250/16 10° | 240/9 4° | 280/22 -7° | 280/29 -19° | 300/29 -34° | 290/50 -43° | 300/64 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNO Reno, NV | departure | no report just now | 4,414 ft | ||||
| SPZ Silver Springs, NV | 20 nm out, 12 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 4,265 ft | ||||
| ENV Wendover, UT | 270 nm out, 6 nm north of the line | no report just now | 4,236 ft | ||||
| SLC Salt Lake City, UT | 370 nm out, 11 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,230 ft | ||||
| FBR Fort Bridger, WY | 440 nm out, 13 nm north of the line | no report just now | 7,038 ft | ||||
| SAA Saratoga, WY | 599 nm out, 10 nm south of the line | no report just now | 7,014 ft | ||||
| BFF Scottsbluff, NE | 749 nm out, 1 nm south of the line | no report just now | 3,967 ft | ||||
| TIF Thedford, NE | 879 nm out, 8 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 2,925 ft | ||||
| SUX Sioux City, IA | 1069 nm out, 12 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,098 ft | ||||
| CID Cedar Rapids, IA | 1279 nm out, 16 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 869 ft | ||||
| RFD Chicago/Rockford, IL | 1399 nm out, 10 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 742 ft | ||||
| ORD Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 680 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,038 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At ORD when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 11:29 am CDT (16:29 UTC)
ORD 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 RNO 6:23 pm PDT (01:23 UTC), at ORD 6:15 pm CDT (23:15 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:43 pm CDT (23:43 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: Reno/Tahoe International, Chicago O'Hare International.