St. Louis Lambert International to Sacramento International STL → SMF
1,455 nautical miles (1,675 statute miles) west on a straight line, true course 280°, about 281° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1W). At 120 knots that is 14 h 08 min at the quickest height in today's winds (8,500 ft, a 17-knot headwind), arriving about 3:12 pm PDT (22:12 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: 667 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 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 70 to 538 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft. Over the route from 588 to 1136 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 42,000 ft. Over the route from 618 to 1007 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 827 nm out.
- AIRMET SIERRA 1E: mountains obscured by cloud (due to mountains obscured by clouds, precipitation, mist). Over the route from 748 to 1256 nm out.
- AIRMET ZULU 2C: moderate icing up to 23,000 ft. Over the route from 758 to 1276 nm out.
- AIRMET TANGO 1W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 39,000 ft. Over the last 120 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 STL.
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 02:00–09:00 UTC · at 120 knots true airspeed
The westbound cruising heights for this course (VFR: even thousands plus 500 ft; above 18,000 ft the forecast levels), with the wind averaged along the line from the 12 forecast points nearest it (STL, COU, MKC, SLN, GLD, DEN, GJT, SLC, ELY, BAM, RNO, SAC). A plus sign is a headwind, a minus sign a tailwind.
| Height | Average wind | Head- or tailwind | Temperature | Ground speed | Time en route | Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,500 ft | 230° at 27 kt | +18 kt | 102 kt | 14 h 16 min | 3:20 pm PDT (22:20 UTC) | |
| 6,500 ft | 240° at 24 kt | +19 kt | 15 °C | 101 kt | 14 h 24 min | 3:28 pm PDT (22:28 UTC) |
| 8,500 ft | 230° at 22 kt | +17 kt | 9 °C | 103 kt | 14 h 08 min | 3:12 pm PDT (22:12 UTC) |
| 10,500 ft | 230° at 23 kt | +18 kt | 5 °C | 102 kt | 14 h 16 min | 3:20 pm PDT (22:20 UTC) |
| 12,500 ft | 230° at 24 kt | +19 kt | 1 °C | 101 kt | 14 h 24 min | 3:28 pm PDT (22:28 UTC) |
| 14,500 ft | 230° at 26 kt | +21 kt | -3 °C | 99 kt | 14 h 42 min | 3:46 pm PDT (22:46 UTC) |
| 16,500 ft | 230° at 29 kt | +22 kt | -7 °C | 98 kt | 14 h 51 min | 3:55 pm PDT (22:55 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 230° at 31 kt | +23 kt | -11 °C | 97 kt | 15 h | 4:04 pm PDT (23:04 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 220° at 38 kt | +27 kt | -22 °C | 93 kt | 15 h 39 min | 4:43 pm PDT (23:43 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 230° at 49 kt | +40 kt | -30 °C | 80 kt | 18 h 11 min | 7:15 pm PDT (02:15 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 240° at 53 kt | +47 kt | -36 °C | 73 kt | 19 h 56 min | 9:00 pm PDT (04:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 240° at 49 kt | +45 kt | -46 °C | 75 kt | 19 h 24 min | 8:28 pm PDT (03:28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL | used from 0 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 250/24 | 250/24 16° | 260/23 9° | 270/16 6° | 260/25 -6° | 270/29 -19° | 290/34 -33° | 290/48 -41° | 290/54 -51° |
| COU | used from 50 nm out; 15 nm from the line | 230/31 | 230/30 15° | 260/16 11° | 270/14 6° | 260/24 -6° | 270/27 -18° | 270/37 -32° | 280/49 -41° | 290/56 -51° |
| MKC | used from 150 nm out; 25 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/28 18° | 250/18 13° | 240/12 6° | 280/24 -6° | 240/34 -18° | 260/47 -30° | 260/51 -40° | 270/58 -50° |
| SLN | used from 299 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 210/53 | 230/41 20° | 240/26 14° | 230/16 8° | 240/25 -7° | 240/35 -19° | 250/61 -30° | 260/65 -38° | 260/56 -49° |
| GLD | used from 449 nm out; 59 nm from the line | 230/49 | 230/42 15° | 220/26 8° | 240/18 -7° | 230/27 -21° | 240/62 -30° | 240/61 -35° | 250/57 -47° | |
| DEN | used from 598 nm out; 44 nm from the line | 240/21 14° | 250/44 6° | 220/49 -8° | 220/49 -21° | 230/54 -30° | 240/57 -35° | 240/49 -45° | ||
| GJT | used from 748 nm out; 82 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° | ||
| SLC | used from 947 nm out; 76 nm from the line | 200/5 | 230/8 2° | 220/20 -2° | 210/40 -12° | 190/53 -25° | 210/62 -30° | 220/69 -34° | 220/64 -43° | |
| ELY | used from 1047 nm out; 67 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° | ||
| BAM | used from 1196 nm out; 81 nm from the line | 310/7 0° | 270/19 -7° | 200/38 -17° | 190/49 -28° | 220/69 -29° | 220/63 -33° | 230/48 -41° | ||
| RNO | used from 1296 nm out; 55 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° | |
| SAC | used from 1395 nm out; 34 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° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL St Louis, MO | departure | no report just now | 617 ft | ||||
| COU Columbia, MO | 90 nm out, 10 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 889 ft | ||||
| MCI Kansas City, MO | 209 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,027 ft | ||||
| MHK Manhattan, KS | 299 nm out, 17 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 1,066 ft | ||||
| SYF St Francis, KS | 538 nm out, 5 nm northeast of the line | no report just now | 3,429 ft | ||||
| CFO Denver, CO | 658 nm out, 3 nm west of the line, tower | no report just now | 5,515 ft | ||||
| EGE Eagle, CO | 768 nm out, 8 nm south of the line, tower | no report just now | 6,547 ft | ||||
| PUC Price, UT | 947 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | no report just now | 5,957 ft | ||||
| ELY Ely, NV | 1136 nm out, 8 nm south of the line | no report just now | 6,259 ft | ||||
| GAB Gabbs, NV | 1286 nm out, 13 nm south of the line | no report just now | 4,699 ft | ||||
| TVL South Lake Tahoe, CA | 1376 nm out, 4 nm west of the line | no report just now | 6,268 ft | ||||
| SMF Sacramento, CA | destination | no report just now | 26 ft |
The highest airport on this list sits at 6,547 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At SMF when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 3:12 pm PDT (22:12 UTC)
SMF has no terminal forecast; use the nearest airport that does.
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/7634 CENTRALIA, MO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 10 nm from the route, 90 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZKC
- 6/8911 DENVER, CO, Monday, October 12, 2026 UTC 6 nm from the route, 678 nm along the route · a hazard on the ground (fire-fighting, a chemical spill, rescue work) · today · ZDV
- 6/3475 BEALE AFB, CA, Sunday, March 8, 2026 through Sunday, November 1, 2026 Local 15 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 1 November · ZOA
Daylight
Sunset at STL 6:27 pm CDT (23:27 UTC), at SMF 6:31 pm PDT (01:31 UTC) (civil twilight ends 6:57 pm PDT (01:57 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: St. Louis Lambert International, Sacramento International.