Sacramento International to Monterey Regional SMF → MRY
127 nautical miles (146 statute miles) south on a straight line, true course 185°, about 172° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 43 min at the quickest height in today's winds (18,000 ft, a 57-knot tailwind), arriving about 7:57 am PDT (14:57 UTC). Right now SMF is VFR, wind calm; MRY is VFR, wind from the east (100°) 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: 3 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 whole 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
No pilot reports within 50 nautical miles of the line in the last three hours.
Winds aloft along the route, and the time en route the forecast for use 14:00–21:00 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 2 forecast points nearest it (SAC, SFO). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,500 ft | 360° at 5 kt | −5 kt | 125 kt | 1 h 01 min | 8:15 am PDT (15:15 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 350° at 9 kt | −9 kt | 129 kt | 59 min | 8:13 am PDT (15:13 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 350° at 13 kt | −12 kt | 1 °C | 132 kt | 58 min | 8:12 am PDT (15:12 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 350° at 18 kt | −17 kt | -3 °C | 137 kt | 56 min | 8:10 am PDT (15:10 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 350° at 30 kt | −29 kt | -4 °C | 149 kt | 51 min | 8:05 am PDT (15:05 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 350° at 40 kt | −38 kt | -6 °C | 158 kt | 48 min | 8:02 am PDT (15:02 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 350° at 48 kt | −47 kt | -8 °C | 167 kt | 46 min | 8:00 am PDT (15:00 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 350° at 57 kt | −55 kt | -11 °C | 175 kt | 44 min | 7:58 am PDT (14:58 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 350° at 59 kt | −57 kt | -11 °C | 177 kt | 43 min | 7:57 am PDT (14:57 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 350° at 60 kt | −56 kt | -24 °C | 176 kt | 43 min | 7:57 am PDT (14:57 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 350° at 59 kt | −56 kt | -40 °C | 176 kt | 43 min | 7:57 am PDT (14:57 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 340° at 48 kt | −43 kt | -46 °C | 163 kt | 47 min | 8:01 am PDT (15:01 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 310° at 27 kt | −15 kt | -46 °C | 135 kt | 56 min | 8:10 am PDT (15:10 UTC) |
Based on data from the 12th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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; 15 nm from the line | L/V | 320/8 4° | 330/12 -3° | 350/25 -6° | 350/63 -12° | 340/65 -24° | 340/60 -40° | 340/45 -45° | 290/24 -45° |
| SFO | used from 49 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 010/6 | 360/13 5° | 360/17 -3° | 350/39 -2° | 350/56 -11° | 350/57 -24° | 350/59 -40° | 340/50 -46° | 320/30 -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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMF Sacramento, CA | departure | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 11,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 26 ft | 6:53 am PDT (13:53 UTC) |
| VCB Vacaville, CA | 20 nm out, 16 nm west of the line | VFR | calm | 10+ mi | none | 116 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| RHV San Jose, CA | 78 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 feet | calm | 10+ mi | none | 135 ft | 13:55 UTC |
| WVI Watsonville, CA | 108 nm out, 2 nm northeast of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 5,500 feet | from the north-northwest (340°) at 3 knots | 10+ mi | none | 163 ft | 13:53 UTC |
| MRY Monterey, CA | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 3,600 feet | from the east (100°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | 3,600 ft | 256 ft | 6:54 am PDT (13:54 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 256 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MRY when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 7:57 am PDT (14:57 UTC)
Wind from the east at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies VFR
The whole forecast for MRY
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind from the east at 3 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 11:00 am PDT (18:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 8 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 3,000 feet
The forecast for SMF, the departure
- From Mon 5:00 am PDT (12:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 25,000 feet
- From Mon 5:00 pm PDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the north-northwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 10:00 pm PDT (05:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 17 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 MRY 6:33 pm PDT (01:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:59 pm PDT (01:59 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, Monterey Regional.