Sacramento International to City Of Colorado Springs Municipal SMF → COS
790 nautical miles (909 statute miles) east on a straight line, true course 084°, about 071° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 4 h 58 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 39-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:25 am MDT (12:25 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: 5 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 W16W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 27,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 20 knots, until 1:55 am PDT (08:55 UTC). Over the route from 220 to 280 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120655 MKCW WST 120655 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 16W VALID UNTIL 0855Z UT NV FROM 50NW BVL-20NE BVL-40SE OAL-20N OAL-50NW BVL AREA TS MOV FROM 24020KT. TOPS TO FL270.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the first 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 200 to 570 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 200 to 610 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the last 510 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 38,000 ft. Over the last 330 nm of 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 last 180 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
- urgent E75L at 9,000 ft, 18 nm north, 9:30 pm PDT (04:30 UTC): remarks: low-level wind shear + 20K 1000-1500 above ground on approach. 690 nm along the route, 18 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
ASE UUA /OV ASE/TM 0430/FL090/TP E75L/RM LLWS +/- 20K 1000-1500 AGL ON APCH
- Report
- an urgent report filed through ASE
- Where
- over ASE
- Time
- 04:30 UTC
- Height
- at 9,000 ft
- Aircraft
- E75L
- Remarks
- low-level wind shear + 20K 1000-1500 above ground on approach
- A321 at 31,000 ft, 9 nm north, 11:41 pm PDT (06:41 UTC): moderate turbulence, remarks: mtw +/-15KT zdvwc. At the destination end, 9 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
COS UA /OV BRK/TM 0641/FL310/TP A321/TB MOD/RM MTW +/-15KT. ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through COS
- Where
- over BRK
- Time
- 06:41 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- moderate
- Remarks
- mtw +/-15KT zdvwc
- A321 at 31,000 ft, 23 nm south, 11:15 pm PDT (06:15 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence, remarks: mountain wave zlc. 510 nm along the route, 23 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
CNY UA /OV HVE340015/TM 0615/FL310/TP A321/TB OCNL LGT-MOD CHOP /RM MTN WAVE /ZLC
- Report
- a routine report filed through CNY
- Where
- 15 nm north (340°) of HVE
- Time
- 06:15 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A321
- Turbulence
- occasional light to moderate chop
- Remarks
- mountain wave zlc
- PC12 at 12,000 ft, 3 nm south, 12:08 am PDT (07:08 UTC): light turbulence, no icing, 4 °C, remarks: instrument conditions ZDVWC-11. 580 nm along the route, 3 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
GJT UA /OV JNC237019/TM 0708/FL120/TP PC12/TA 04/TB OCNL LGT/IC NEG/RM IMC. ZDVWC-11
- Report
- a routine report filed through GJT
- Where
- 19 nm southwest (237°) of JNC
- Time
- 07:08 UTC
- Height
- at 12,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Temperature
- 4 °C
- Turbulence
- occasional light
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- instrument conditions ZDVWC-11
- E170 at 4,800 ft, 8 nm north, 11:31 pm PDT (06:31 UTC): no turbulence, no icing, clear from 4,800 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: during the descent rnav Y 11 lgjt zdvwc. 610 nm along the route, 8 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
GJT UA /OV GJT/TM 0631/FL048/TP E170/SK SKC/TB NEG/IC NEG/RM DURD RNAV Y 11 LGJT. ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through GJT
- Where
- over GJT
- Time
- 06:31 UTC
- Height
- at 4,800 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- none
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- during the descent rnav Y 11 lgjt zdvwc
- PC12 at 26,000 ft, 36 nm south, 11:27 pm PDT (06:27 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: ZDVWC-12. 720 nm along the route, 36 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
GUC UA /OV HBU090040/TM 0627/FL260/TP PC12/TB OCNL LGT CHOP/RM ZDVWC-12
- Report
- a routine report filed through GUC
- Where
- 40 nm east (090°) of HBU
- Time
- 06:27 UTC
- Height
- at 26,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PC12
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop
- Remarks
- ZDVWC-12
- B738 at 23,000 ft, 24 nm north, 11:23 pm PDT (06:23 UTC): no turbulence from 23,000 ft to 26,000 ft, clear from 23,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: during the descent sskii star ZDVWC-06. 740 nm along the route, 24 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN230060/TM 0623/FL230/TP B738/SK SKC/TB NEG 230-260/RM DURD SSKII STAR. ZDVWC-06
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 60 nm southwest (230°) of DEN
- Time
- 06:23 UTC
- Height
- at 23,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- no from 23,000 ft to 26,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the descent sskii star ZDVWC-06
- A20N at 25,000 ft, 47 nm north, 11:19 pm PDT (06:19 UTC): light chop turbulence up to 26,000 ft, remarks: during the climb ZDVWC-06. 740 nm along the route, 47 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN250045/TM 0619/FL250/TP A20N/TB OCNL LGT CHOP BLO 260/RM DURC. ZDVWC-06
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 45 nm west (250°) of DEN
- Time
- 06:19 UTC
- Height
- at 25,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A20N
- Turbulence
- occasional light chop below 26,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the climb ZDVWC-06
- CRJ2 at 22,000 ft, 17 nm north, 11:35 pm PDT (06:35 UTC): no turbulence up to 26,000 ft, no icing, clear from 22,000 ft to 60,000 ft, remarks: during the descent ZDVWC-26. 750 nm along the route, 17 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN220060/TM 0635/FL220/TP CRJ2/SK SKC/TB NEG BLO 260/IC NEG/RM DURD/ ZDVWC-26
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 60 nm southwest (220°) of DEN
- Time
- 06:35 UTC
- Height
- at 22,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CRJ2
- Sky
- clear
- Turbulence
- no below 26,000 ft
- Icing
- none
- Remarks
- during the descent ZDVWC-26
- E170 at 22,500 ft, 16 nm north, 10:06 pm PDT (05:06 UTC): light to moderate turbulence up to 23,000 ft, remarks: during the descent tbarr star ZDVWC-13. 750 nm along the route, 16 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
DEN UA /OV DEN216057/TM 0506/FL225/TP E170/TB CONS LGT OCNL MOD BLO 230/RM DURD TBARR STAR. ZDVWC-13
- Report
- a routine report filed through DEN
- Where
- 57 nm southwest (216°) of DEN
- Time
- 05:06 UTC
- Height
- at 22,500 ft
- Aircraft
- E170
- Turbulence
- continuous light occasional moderate below 23,000 ft
- Remarks
- during the descent tbarr star ZDVWC-13
- A320 at 31,000 ft, 35 nm south, 11:58 pm PDT (06:58 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: mtw a 10-knot loss of airspeed 100FT zdvwc. At the destination end, 35 nm south of the line.
as filed, and in English
PUB UA /OV PUB260040/TM 0658/FL310/TP A320/TB LGT CHOP/RM MTW +/-10KT 100FT. ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through PUB
- Where
- 40 nm west (260°) of PUB
- Time
- 06:58 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A320
- Turbulence
- light chop
- Remarks
- mtw a 10-knot loss of airspeed 100FT zdvwc
- A21N at 33,000 ft, 9 nm north, 11:59 pm PDT (06:59 UTC): light chop turbulence, remarks: mtw a 10-knot loss of airspeed 100FT zdvwc. At the destination end, 9 nm north of the line.
as filed, and in English
COS UA /OV BRK/TM 0659/FL330/TP A21N/TB LGT CHOP/RM MTW +/-10KT 100FT. ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through COS
- Where
- over BRK
- Time
- 06:59 UTC
- Height
- at 33,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Turbulence
- light chop
- Remarks
- mtw a 10-knot loss of airspeed 100FT zdvwc
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 6 forecast points nearest it (SAC, RNO, ELY, BCE, GJT, PUB). 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 | 210° at 25 kt | −13 kt | 6 °C | 133 kt | 5 h 56 min | 7:23 am MDT (13:23 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 220° at 26 kt | −15 kt | 3 °C | 135 kt | 5 h 51 min | 7:18 am MDT (13:18 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 220° at 28 kt | −19 kt | -1 °C | 139 kt | 5 h 41 min | 7:08 am MDT (13:08 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 220° at 31 kt | −20 kt | -5 °C | 140 kt | 5 h 39 min | 7:06 am MDT (13:06 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 220° at 35 kt | −22 kt | -9 °C | 142 kt | 5 h 34 min | 7:01 am MDT (13:01 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 220° at 38 kt | −23 kt | -13 °C | 143 kt | 5 h 31 min | 6:58 am MDT (12:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 220° at 39 kt | −23 kt | -14 °C | 143 kt | 5 h 31 min | 6:58 am MDT (12:58 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 47 kt | −32 kt | -23 °C | 152 kt | 5 h 12 min | 6:39 am MDT (12:39 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 220° at 51 kt | −35 kt | -29 °C | 155 kt | 5 h 06 min | 6:33 am MDT (12:33 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 55 kt | −39 kt | -34 °C | 159 kt | 4 h 58 min | 6:25 am MDT (12:25 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 220° at 51 kt | −36 kt | -44 °C | 156 kt | 5 h 04 min | 6:31 am MDT (12:31 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAC | used from 0 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 110/6 | L/V 4° | 010/11 -2° | 350/11 -7° | 340/24 -16° | 360/44 -23° | 330/24 -30° | 270/21 -35° | 230/23 -43° |
| RNO | used from 50 nm out; 43 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° | |
| ELY | used from 200 nm out; 93 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° | ||
| BCE | used from 400 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 220/27 -1° | 210/40 -13° | 220/54 -21° | 220/64 -30° | 220/64 -34° | 220/52 -44° | |||
| GJT | used from 500 nm out; 86 nm from the line | 210/43 7° | 230/45 1° | 220/49 -12° | 220/62 -22° | 220/59 -28° | 230/60 -33° | 220/55 -45° | ||
| PUB | used from 700 nm out; 83 nm from the line | 230/25 13° | 230/32 6° | 220/44 -8° | 230/49 -21° | 240/70 -28° | 240/67 -34° | 240/58 -46° |
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 | ||||
| PVF Placerville, CA | 40 nm out, 2 nm south of the line | no report just now | 2,585 ft | ||||
| TVL South Lake Tahoe, CA | 80 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 6,268 ft | ||||
| GAB Gabbs, NV | 170 nm out, 1 nm east of the line | no report just now | 4,699 ft | ||||
| ELY Ely, NV | 320 nm out, 16 nm north of the line | no report just now | 6,259 ft | ||||
| FOM Fillmore, UT | 430 nm out, 6 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,984 ft | ||||
| CNY Moab, UT | 550 nm out, 17 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,579 ft | ||||
| GJT Grand Junction, CO | 610 nm out, 8 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,861 ft | ||||
| ASE Aspen, CO | 690 nm out, 18 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 7,837 ft | ||||
| AEJ Buena Vista, CO | 720 nm out, 6 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 7,950 ft | ||||
| COS Colorado Springs, CO | destination | no report just now | 6,187 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 7,950 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At COS when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:25 am MDT (12:25 UTC)
COS 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 16 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
- 6/8784 LAKE GEORGE, CO, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Tuesday, October 13, 2026 UTC 5 nm from the route, at the destination end · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 13 October · ZDV
Daylight
Sunset at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at COS 6:23 pm MDT (00:23 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:50 pm MDT (00:50 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at COS is before sunrise there (7:04 am MDT (13:04 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, City Of Colorado Springs Municipal.