Sacramento International to Buffalo Niagara International SMF → BUF
1,943 nautical miles (2,236 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 068°, about 055° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 11 h 34 min at the quickest height in today's winds (39,000 ft, a 48-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:16 pm EDT (20:16 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 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 W17W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 30,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 2:55 am PDT (09:55 UTC). Over the route from 339 to 359 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120755 MKCW WST 120755 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 17W VALID UNTIL 0955Z AZ UT NV FROM 20WNW BVL-30N BCE-60SSW BCE-50NNE LAS-60NNW ELY-20WNW BVL AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL300.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 139 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 199 to 668 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 249 to 697 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 379 to 827 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 548 to 837 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 658 to 837 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 668 to 717 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 857 to 1056 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 1146 to 1514 nm out.
- 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 last 249 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 SMF.
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 17 forecast points nearest it (SAC, RNO, BAM, ELY, SLC, RKS, LND, BFF, PIR, ONL, FSD, MCW, LSE, GRB, MKG, CLE, BUF). 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 | 260° at 16 kt | −16 kt | 20 °C | 136 kt | 14 h 17 min | 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 16 kt | −16 kt | 11 °C | 136 kt | 14 h 17 min | 6:59 pm EDT (22:59 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | −18 kt | 6 °C | 138 kt | 14 h 05 min | 6:47 pm EDT (22:47 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 250° at 22 kt | −22 kt | 2 °C | 142 kt | 13 h 41 min | 6:23 pm EDT (22:23 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -2 °C | 143 kt | 13 h 35 min | 6:17 pm EDT (22:17 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -7 °C | 143 kt | 13 h 35 min | 6:17 pm EDT (22:17 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 240° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -11 °C | 143 kt | 13 h 35 min | 6:17 pm EDT (22:17 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 240° at 23 kt | −23 kt | -12 °C | 143 kt | 13 h 35 min | 6:17 pm EDT (22:17 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 30 kt | −30 kt | -22 °C | 150 kt | 12 h 57 min | 5:39 pm EDT (21:39 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 37 kt | −38 kt | -34 °C | 158 kt | 12 h 18 min | 5:00 pm EDT (21:00 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 250° at 41 kt | −43 kt | -39 °C | 163 kt | 11 h 55 min | 4:37 pm EDT (20:37 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 260° at 44 kt | −48 kt | -46 °C | 168 kt | 11 h 34 min | 4:16 pm EDT (20:16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC | used from 0 nm out; 27 nm from the line | L/V | L/V 4° | 340/9 -4° | 340/22 -8° | 360/71 -12° | 360/82 -23° | 350/58 -37° | 310/30 -40° | 270/25 -44° |
| RNO | used from 50 nm out; 26 nm from the line | 010/6 | 270/12 -3° | 220/26 -10° | 280/13 -19° | 350/44 -24° | 320/30 -32° | 260/22 -36° | 240/24 -42° | |
| BAM | used from 149 nm out; 77 nm from the line | 280/9 -2° | 260/18 -8° | 190/47 -19° | 200/50 -29° | 210/56 -29° | 220/54 -34° | 220/45 -42° | ||
| ELY | used from 299 nm out; 72 nm from the line | 210/34 1° | 220/40 -4° | 220/39 -17° | 210/51 -24° | 220/65 -30° | 220/60 -37° | 220/56 -44° | ||
| SLC | used from 349 nm out; 89 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° | |
| RKS | used from 548 nm out; 28 nm from the line | 250/9 | 230/21 -1° | 210/43 -14° | 220/59 -23° | 220/55 -32° | 220/53 -35° | 220/48 -44° | ||
| LND | used from 697 nm out; 109 nm from the line | 240/10 3° | 240/30 0° | 220/42 -13° | 230/52 -23° | 220/54 -33° | 220/52 -36° | 220/53 -44° | ||
| BFF | used from 747 nm out; 82 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° | |
| PIR | used from 947 nm out; 95 nm from the line | 230/15 15° | 220/22 14° | 220/24 6° | 200/32 -10° | 210/48 -22° | 240/45 -33° | 240/43 -37° | 250/55 -46° | |
| ONL | used from 996 nm out; 56 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 1096 nm out; 42 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° |
| MCW | used from 1245 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 250/36 | 250/24 19° | 240/26 11° | 250/30 5° | 270/22 -9° | 260/30 -21° | 260/31 -36° | 280/53 -38° | 280/66 -48° |
| LSE | used from 1345 nm out; 37 nm from the line | 250/25 | 240/21 17° | 240/28 11° | 250/28 5° | 280/24 -10° | 280/31 -21° | 260/35 -37° | 270/45 -43° | 280/59 -47° |
| GRB | used from 1494 nm out; 64 nm from the line | 250/32 | 250/22 17° | 240/18 8° | 280/21 6° | 280/34 -11° | 280/35 -21° | 280/39 -37° | 270/52 -45° | 290/60 -49° |
| MKG | used from 1544 nm out; 46 nm from the line | 260/28 | 260/18 15° | 250/16 9° | 260/22 4° | 280/31 -9° | 270/35 -21° | 270/44 -35° | 270/42 -45° | 290/61 -51° |
| CLE | used from 1744 nm out; 116 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° |
| BUF | used from 1843 nm out; 75 nm from the line | 300/11 | 330/15 11° | 340/26 8° | 330/28 2° | 340/31 -10° | 340/32 -21° | 340/52 -37° | 340/59 -46° | 330/66 -53° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMF Sacramento, CA | departure | no report just now | 26 ft | ||||
| TRK Truckee, CA | 80 nm out, 11 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,904 ft | ||||
| ENV Wendover, UT | 369 nm out, 1 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 4,236 ft | ||||
| OGD Ogden, UT | 468 nm out, 4 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,472 ft | ||||
| RKS Rock Springs, WY | 598 nm out, 7 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 6,764 ft | ||||
| GUR Guernsey, WY | 797 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,401 ft | ||||
| FSD Sioux Falls, SD | 1156 nm out, 23 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,430 ft | ||||
| CJJ Cresco, IA | 1355 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,279 ft | ||||
| MSN Madison, WI | 1475 nm out, 18 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 886 ft | ||||
| MBS Saginaw, MI | 1704 nm out, 13 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 668 ft | ||||
| CYZR Sarnia, | 1783 nm out, 13 nm south of the line | no report just now | 594 ft | ||||
| BUF Buffalo, NY | destination | no report just now | 726 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,764 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At BUF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:16 pm EDT (20:16 UTC)
BUF has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 12 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at BUF 6:37 pm EDT (22:37 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:06 pm EDT (23:06 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: Sacramento International, Buffalo Niagara International.