John Wayne/Orange County to Chicago Midway International SNA → MDW
1,502 nautical miles (1,728 statute miles) northeast on a straight line, true course 062°, about 050° magnetic at the departure end (variation 12E). At 120 knots that is 8 h 38 min at the quickest height in today's winds (34,000 ft, a 54-knot tailwind), arriving about 5:49 am CDT (10:49 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: 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
- SIGMET 6W: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 34,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 40 knots, until 8:55 pm PDT (03:55 UTC). Over the route from 507 to 706 nm out.
as issued
WSUS33 KKCI 120155 MKCW WST 120155 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 6W VALID UNTIL 0355Z CO NM FROM 50SSW DEN-30NNE TBE-50SSW CME-50E SJN-20NE DVC-50SSW DEN AREA TS MOV FROM 23040KT. TOPS TO FL340.
- AIRMET SIERRA 6E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the first 80 nm of the route.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft (due to mountain wave) up to 12,000 ft. Over the route from 20 to 179 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 3C: moderate icing up to 22,000 ft. Over the route from 80 to 388 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 189 to 438 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 209 to 776 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 2E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 229 to 328 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft. Over the route from 308 to 746 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 527 to 666 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 527 to 666 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 815 to 1253 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 SNA.
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 20:00–03:00 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 14 forecast points nearest it (ONT, BLH, LAS, PRC, BCE, FMN, ALS, PUB, GLD, GRI, OMA, DSM, BRL, 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 23 kt | −18 kt | 16 °C | 138 kt | 10 h 53 min | 8:04 am CDT (13:04 UTC) |
| 7,500 ft | 220° at 23 kt | −20 kt | 12 °C | 140 kt | 10 h 44 min | 7:55 am CDT (12:55 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | −21 kt | 10 °C | 141 kt | 10 h 39 min | 7:50 am CDT (12:50 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | −23 kt | 5 °C | 143 kt | 10 h 30 min | 7:41 am CDT (12:41 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | −25 kt | 1 °C | 145 kt | 10 h 22 min | 7:33 am CDT (12:33 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | −28 kt | -4 °C | 148 kt | 10 h 09 min | 7:20 am CDT (12:20 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 230° at 32 kt | −32 kt | -8 °C | 152 kt | 9 h 53 min | 7:04 am CDT (12:04 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 33 kt | −33 kt | -9 °C | 153 kt | 9 h 49 min | 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 240° at 37 kt | −37 kt | -20 °C | 157 kt | 9 h 34 min | 6:45 am CDT (11:45 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 240° at 48 kt | −49 kt | -31 °C | 169 kt | 8 h 53 min | 6:04 am CDT (11:04 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 53 kt | −54 kt | -38 °C | 174 kt | 8 h 38 min | 5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 250° at 51 kt | −53 kt | -48 °C | 173 kt | 8 h 41 min | 5:52 am CDT (10:52 UTC) |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ONT | used from 0 nm out; 14 nm from the line | 230/11 | 200/17 6° | 230/27 4° | 230/32 -2° | 210/39 -12° | 220/51 -20° | 220/48 -29° | 210/51 -34° | 210/52 -44° |
| BLH | used from 99 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 230/22 | 210/24 11° | 230/23 5° | 230/26 0° | 220/38 -10° | 230/52 -19° | 220/58 -28° | 220/69 -34° | 220/59 -45° |
| LAS | used from 149 nm out; 69 nm from the line | 200/25 11° | 230/22 5° | 240/25 -1° | 220/37 -12° | 220/44 -21° | 210/52 -27° | 210/60 -34° | 220/58 -44° | |
| PRC | used from 249 nm out; 67 nm from the line | 200/36 6° | 210/46 0° | 220/60 -10° | 220/75 -19° | 220/66 -26° | 230/70 -33° | 230/59 -45° | ||
| BCE | used from 348 nm out; 96 nm from the line | 210/47 0° | 200/50 -12° | 220/31 -23° | 220/56 -26° | 220/58 -35° | 230/58 -45° | |||
| FMN | used from 398 nm out; 90 nm from the line | 220/25 13° | 220/28 4° | 210/51 -9° | 220/59 -21° | 230/78 -30° | 230/77 -36° | 230/66 -46° | ||
| ALS | used from 547 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 210/32 5° | 230/48 -8° | 230/49 -20° | 230/78 -30° | 240/74 -36° | 240/61 -47° | |||
| PUB | used from 646 nm out; 35 nm from the line | 210/24 16° | 210/28 8° | 230/43 -8° | 240/42 -21° | 240/77 -30° | 240/72 -36° | 250/51 -47° | ||
| GLD | used from 796 nm out; 31 nm from the line | 190/29 | 200/30 15° | 240/23 8° | 250/39 -7° | 230/39 -19° | 230/57 -31° | 240/67 -39° | 250/62 -49° | |
| GRI | used from 945 nm out; 79 nm from the line | 210/31 19° | 240/21 14° | 240/17 6° | 260/27 -7° | 260/34 -18° | 240/45 -32° | 250/56 -40° | 260/62 -51° | |
| OMA | used from 1094 nm out; 50 nm from the line | 190/34 | 230/34 19° | 250/25 12° | 250/18 6° | 250/22 -7° | 250/28 -19° | 260/34 -32° | 260/39 -41° | 280/56 -51° |
| DSM | used from 1193 nm out; 41 nm from the line | 200/32 | 240/27 17° | 260/19 10° | 260/16 5° | 260/19 -7° | 240/22 -19° | 270/20 -32° | 270/38 -42° | 290/58 -53° |
| BRL | used from 1293 nm out; 40 nm from the line | 200/20 | 250/21 16° | 240/22 10° | 260/20 5° | 270/16 -7° | 290/22 -18° | 320/41 -34° | 320/56 -43° | 310/68 -53° |
| JOT | used from 1392 nm out; 65 nm from the line | 230/11 | 290/12 16° | 300/19 10° | 320/19 4° | 300/17 -9° | 330/31 -20° | 320/49 -37° | 320/53 -45° | 320/67 -49° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNA Santa Ana, CA | departure | no report just now | 55 ft | ||||
| RIV Riverside, CA | 30 nm out, 4 nm east of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,536 ft | ||||
| IFP Bullhead City, AZ | 189 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 707 ft | ||||
| GCN Grand Canyon, AZ | 318 nm out, 5 nm southwest of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,608 ft | ||||
| CEZ Cortez, CO | 497 nm out, 7 nm north of the line | no report just now | 5,917 ft | ||||
| PUB Pueblo, CO | 706 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 4,729 ft | ||||
| CBK Colby, KS | 875 nm out, 6 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,188 ft | ||||
| HJH Hebron, NE | 1044 nm out, 2 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,468 ft | ||||
| BIE Beatrice, NE | 1084 nm out, 3 nm southeast of the line | no report just now | 1,323 ft | ||||
| AWG Washington, IA | 1323 nm out, 1 nm north of the line | no report just now | 754 ft | ||||
| MLI Moline, IL | 1372 nm out, 4 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 589 ft | ||||
| MDW Chicago, IL | destination | no report just now | 619 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,608 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MDW when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 5:49 am CDT (10:49 UTC)
MDW has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 4/3635 DISNEYLAND THEME PARK, ANAHEIM,, CA 5 nm from the route, at the departure end · security · ZLA
- 6/8891 Bullhead City, AZ, Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Local on the route, 179 nm along the route · a VIP movement · starts Wednesday 14 October · ZLA
Daylight
Sunset at SNA 6:21 pm PDT (01:21 UTC), at MDW 6:14 pm CDT (23:14 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:42 pm CDT (23:42 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MDW is before sunrise there (6:59 am CDT (11:59 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: John Wayne/Orange County, Chicago Midway International.