Temperature at Elevation Calculator
Estimate how much cooler the air gets as you climb. Enter the temperature where you start and how far up you are going, and the estimate follows.
- Free
- Works offline after your first visit
- Saves on this device
- No sign-up
- Updated
How it works
Air usually cools by about 6.5 degrees Celsius for every kilometre of height, roughly 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit for every 1,000 feet. That is the standard rate used in textbook models of the atmosphere, and the calculator subtracts it for your height gain.
Real weather differs. Wind, cloud, sun on rock and the time of day can move the figure a lot, so this shows a typical drop, not a forecast for the top of a particular peak.
Worked example
Starting at 70 °F, a climb of 5,000 ft gives an air temperature near 52.2 °F at the top, on the typical drop.
Questions
Is this a weather forecast?
No. It is a standard rule of thumb for how air cools with height. Check the forecast for your area for the weather itself.
Why is it colder higher up, even in summer?
Air higher up is thinner, so it expands as it rises, and that expansion cools it. The same drop happens on any climb, whatever the season.
Does wind chill count?
No. Wind makes the air feel colder on the skin, but this shows only the air temperature, not how it feels.
More like this
- Pressure at Depth CalculatorWater pressure added at a given depth.
- Winning Percentage CalculatorShare of games won, from wins and losses.
- Slope Percentage CalculatorRise and run to percent grade and degrees.
- Batting Average CalculatorHits divided by at bats.
- Headwind and Crosswind CalculatorHeadwind and crosswind for a runway.
- Anchor Scope CalculatorLength of anchor rode for a chosen scope.