Sacramento International to Palm Springs International SMF → PSP
382 nautical miles (439 statute miles) southeast on a straight line, true course 138°, about 125° magnetic at the departure end (variation 13E). At 120 knots that is 2 h 46 min at the quickest height in today's winds (24,000 ft, a 18-knot tailwind), arriving about 4:25 am PDT (11:25 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: 1,044 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 127 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 15,000 ft. Over the last 98 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 35,000 ft to 45,000 ft. Over the last 29 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 4 forecast points nearest it (SAC, FAT, WJF, ONT). 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 | 190° at 5 kt | +3 kt | 117 kt | 3 h 16 min | 4:55 am PDT (11:55 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 200° at 14 kt | +7 kt | 4 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 23 min | 5:02 am PDT (12:02 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 200° at 14 kt | +7 kt | 2 °C | 113 kt | 3 h 23 min | 5:02 am PDT (12:02 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 210° at 13 kt | +5 kt | -2 °C | 115 kt | 3 h 19 min | 4:58 am PDT (11:58 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 13 kt | −1 kt | -5 °C | 121 kt | 3 h 09 min | 4:48 am PDT (11:48 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 260° at 13 kt | −6 kt | -7 °C | 126 kt | 3 h 02 min | 4:41 am PDT (11:41 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 280° at 15 kt | −11 kt | -10 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 55 min | 4:34 am PDT (11:34 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 300° at 18 kt | −16 kt | -13 °C | 136 kt | 2 h 49 min | 4:28 am PDT (11:28 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 300° at 19 kt | −17 kt | -14 °C | 137 kt | 2 h 47 min | 4:26 am PDT (11:26 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 290° at 21 kt | −18 kt | -23 °C | 138 kt | 2 h 46 min | 4:25 am PDT (11:25 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 250° at 29 kt | −11 kt | -32 °C | 131 kt | 2 h 55 min | 4:34 am PDT (11:34 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 230° at 42 kt | −3 kt | -38 °C | 123 kt | 3 h 06 min | 4:45 am PDT (11:45 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 230° at 44 kt | +1 kt | -45 °C | 119 kt | 3 h 13 min | 4:52 am PDT (11:52 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; 14 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° |
| FAT | used from 98 nm out; 24 nm from the line | 140/11 | 180/15 3° | 150/14 -3° | 200/14 -6° | 240/17 -16° | 320/25 -23° | 270/22 -31° | 240/29 -37° | 230/36 -44° |
| WJF | used from 196 nm out; 73 nm from the line | 210/26 4° | 210/28 2° | 230/23 -4° | 240/28 -13° | 220/47 -23° | 220/57 -30° | 220/65 -37° | 220/59 -45° | |
| ONT | used from 294 nm out; 39 nm from the line | 250/11 | 200/20 4° | 210/27 3° | 220/26 -4° | 240/32 -13° | 220/52 -21° | 220/67 -30° | 220/72 -37° | 220/65 -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 | ||||
| MHR Sacramento, CA | 20 nm out, 6 nm north of the line, tower | no report just now | 98 ft | ||||
| MOD Modesto, CA | 69 nm out, 20 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 99 ft | ||||
| MER Atwater, CA | 88 nm out, 16 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 190 ft | ||||
| FAT Fresno, CA | 147 nm out, 9 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 335 ft | ||||
| PTV Porterville, CA | 196 nm out, 14 nm southwest of the line | no report just now | 443 ft | ||||
| MHV Mojave, CA | 274 nm out, 17 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,801 ft | ||||
| VCV Victorville, CA | 323 nm out, 7 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 2,885 ft | ||||
| SBD San Bernardino, CA | 343 nm out, 19 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,159 ft | ||||
| PSP Palm Springs, CA | destination | no report just now | 476 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 2,885 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At PSP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 4:25 am PDT (11:25 UTC)
PSP 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 17 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
- 6/7094 45NM NE MERCED, CA, Sunday, October 4, 2026 through Tuesday, October 20, 2026 UTC 19 nm from the route, 108 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 20 October · ZOA
- 6/8783 38NM NE BAKERSFIELD, CA, Saturday, October 10, 2026 through Friday, October 23, 2026 UTC 2 nm from the route, 235 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · until 23 October · ZLA
- 6/8887 Indio, CA, Sunday, October 11, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 15 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 12 October · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC), at PSP 6:14 pm PDT (01:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:39 pm PDT (01:39 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at PSP is before sunrise there (6:48 am PDT (13:48 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, Palm Springs International.