Northwest Arkansas Ntl Airport to Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport XNA → MSP
519 nautical miles (597 statute miles) north on a straight line, true course 005°, about 004° magnetic at the departure end (variation 1E). At 120 knots that is 3 h 32 min at the quickest height in today's winds (3,500 ft, a 27-knot tailwind), arriving about 6:34 am CDT (11:34 UTC), after sunset at the destination. Right now XNA is VFR, wind from the south (190°) at 6 knots; MSP is VFR, wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 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: 1,165 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 first 449 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 XNA.
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 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 5 forecast points nearest it (SGF, MKC, DSM, MCW, MSP). 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 | 230° at 37 kt | −27 kt | 147 kt | 3 h 32 min | 6:34 am CDT (11:34 UTC) | |
| 5,500 ft | 240° at 31 kt | −17 kt | 137 kt | 3 h 47 min | 6:49 am CDT (11:49 UTC) | |
| 7,500 ft | 250° at 24 kt | −12 kt | 15 °C | 132 kt | 3 h 56 min | 6:58 am CDT (11:58 UTC) |
| 9,500 ft | 240° at 18 kt | −9 kt | 11 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 01 min | 7:03 am CDT (12:03 UTC) |
| 11,500 ft | 240° at 17 kt | −9 kt | 7 °C | 129 kt | 4 h 01 min | 7:03 am CDT (12:03 UTC) |
| 13,500 ft | 250° at 18 kt | −8 kt | 3 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 03 min | 7:05 am CDT (12:05 UTC) |
| 15,500 ft | 250° at 21 kt | −8 kt | -2 °C | 128 kt | 4 h 03 min | 7:05 am CDT (12:05 UTC) |
| 17,500 ft | 260° at 24 kt | −7 kt | -6 °C | 127 kt | 4 h 05 min | 7:07 am CDT (12:07 UTC) |
| 18,000 ft FL180 | 260° at 24 kt | −6 kt | -7 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 07 min | 7:09 am CDT (12:09 UTC) |
| 24,000 ft FL240 | 260° at 31 kt | −10 kt | -19 °C | 130 kt | 4 h | 7:02 am CDT (12:02 UTC) |
| 30,000 ft FL300 | 260° at 41 kt | −10 kt | -32 °C | 130 kt | 4 h | 7:02 am CDT (12:02 UTC) |
| 34,000 ft FL340 | 260° at 51 kt | −11 kt | -41 °C | 131 kt | 3 h 58 min | 7:00 am CDT (12:00 UTC) |
| 39,000 ft FL390 | 270° at 56 kt | −6 kt | -51 °C | 126 kt | 4 h 07 min | 7:09 am CDT (12:09 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGF | used from 0 nm out; 53 nm from the line | 230/33 | 230/28 15° | 250/20 13° | 240/18 7° | 250/20 -6° | 250/24 -17° | 280/42 -31° | 280/49 -40° | 290/46 -51° |
| MKC | used from 100 nm out; 52 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° |
| DSM | used from 249 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 230/40 | 250/33 17° | 250/18 12° | 240/17 5° | 260/28 -8° | 270/34 -19° | 260/41 -33° | 260/55 -41° | 270/62 -51° |
| MCW | used from 349 nm out; 42 nm from the line | 220/44 | 250/30 17° | 230/14 12° | 240/17 6° | 250/22 -8° | 270/29 -20° | 250/34 -34° | 260/52 -43° | 260/59 -51° |
| MSP | used from 449 nm out; 45 nm from the line | 230/26 | 240/30 17° | 240/24 12° | 250/22 5° | 250/35 -10° | 260/36 -21° | 250/41 -36° | 250/49 -45° | 260/58 -52° |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XNA Fayetteville/Springdale/Rogers, AR | departure | VFR | from the south (190°) at 6 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,288 ft | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
| JLN Joplin, MO | 50 nm out, 14 nm west of the line, tower | VFR | from the south (190°) at 11 knots | 10+ mi | none | 977 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| LLU Lamar, MO | 70 nm out, 7 nm northwest of the line | no report just now | 1,009 ft | ||||
| RCM Warrensburg, MO | 150 nm out, 10 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 797 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| HIG Higginsville, MO | 170 nm out, 14 nm east of the line | no report just now | 840 ft | ||||
| LWD Lamoni, IA | 259 nm out, 6 nm northwest of the line | VFR | from the south (180°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,130 ft | 07:53 UTC |
| CNC Chariton, IA | 289 nm out, 17 nm east of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 8 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,050 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| DSM Des Moines, IA | 319 nm out, 3 nm south of the line, tower | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 25,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 957 ft | 07:54 UTC |
| CAV Clarion, IA | 389 nm out, 11 nm west of the line | VFR Sky: a few clouds at 2,700 feet, a few clouds at 3,700 feet, a few clouds at 5,500 feet | from the south (180°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,156 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| AEL Albert Lea, MN | 449 nm out, 3 nm south of the line | VFR Sky: overcast at 18,000 feet | from the south (190°) at 9 knots | 10+ mi | 18,000 ft | 1,261 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| FBL Faribault, MN | 489 nm out, 4 nm south of the line | VFR | from the south (190°) at 4 knots | 10+ mi | none | 1,060 ft | 07:55 UTC |
| MSP Minneapolis, MN | destination | VFR Sky: a broken layer at 18,000 feet | from the south-southwest (200°) at 5 knots | 10+ mi | 18,000 ft | 841 ft | 2:53 am CDT (07:53 UTC) |
The highest airport on this list sits at 1,288 ft; the ground between airports is higher still. Check the sectional chart for the terrain and the minimum safe heights along the line.
At MSP when you get there the forecast at the estimated arrival, 6:34 am CDT (11:34 UTC)
Wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet VFR
The whole forecast for MSP
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 7 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 6:00 am CDT (11:00 UTC): wind light and variable, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 20,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 pm CDT (03:00 UTC): wind from the northwest at 9 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a few clouds at 2,500 feet, a broken layer at 15,000 feet
- From Tue 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the west-northwest at 10 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, a broken layer at 2,500 feet
The forecast for XNA, the departure
- From Mon 1:00 am CDT (06:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, low-level wind shear, a few clouds at 5,000 feet
- From Mon 10:00 am CDT (15:00 UTC): wind from the south-southwest at 16 knots, gusting to 25, visibility more than 6 miles, clear skies
- From Mon 7:00 pm CDT (00:00 UTC): wind from the south at 6 knots, visibility more than 6 miles, scattered clouds at 25,000 feet
Temporary flight restrictions on the line or within 25 nm of it
- 6/6656 ANOKA, MN, Monday, October 5, 2026 through Monday, October 19, 2026 Local 19 nm from the route, at the destination end · security · until 19 October · ZMP
Daylight
Sunset at XNA 6:45 pm CDT (23:45 UTC), at MSP 6:33 pm CDT (23:33 UTC) (civil twilight ends 7:03 pm CDT (00:03 UTC)). At 120 knots the arrival at MSP is before sunrise there (7:24 am CDT (12:24 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: Northwest Arkansas Ntl Airport, Minneapolis-St Paul Intl/Wold-Chamberlain Airport.