Temperature at altitude calculator
This temperature at altitude calculator uses NASA’s standard atmosphere: up to 11,000 m (about 36,000 ft) the temperature falls by 0.00649 °C per meter – 6.49 °C per 1000 m or 3.56 °F per 1000 ft. Enter a temperature you know at one elevation and the elevation you want; the calculator estimates the temperature there.
Example: Units: °F and feet · Known temperature 70 · At elevation 1,000 · Target elevation 8,000 · Lapse rate 0.649 °C per 100 m → Estimated temperature: 45.1 °F (7.3 °C) at 8,000 ft. Source: NASA Glenn Research Center, Earth Atmosphere Model – Metric Units: troposphere up to 11,000 m, T = 15.04 − 0.00649·h (°C, m); lower stratosphere T = −56.46 °C; curve fit of averaged measurements, standard day (read 10.10.2026). Updated: .
How it is calculated
In the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere, temperature falls in a straight line with height. NASA’s Earth atmosphere model writes it as T = 15.04 − 0.00649 × h (T in °C, h in meters) up to 11,000 m. That is a drop of 0.649 °C per 100 m, 6.49 °C per 1000 m or 1.98 °C (3.56 °F) per 1000 ft. Above 11,000 m, in the lower stratosphere, the model keeps the temperature constant at −56.46 °C.
Standard atmosphere by elevation
| Elevation | Temperature |
|---|---|
| 500 m (1,640 ft) | 11.8 °C |
| 2000 m (6,562 ft) | 2.1 °C |
| 3776 m (12,388 ft) | −9.5 °C |
| 5000 m (16,404 ft) | −17.4 °C |
| 8849 m (29,032 ft) | −42.4 °C |
The standard atmosphere starts at 15.04 °C at sea level. For a real day the calculator shifts the line to your own reading: 70 °F at 1,000 ft becomes about 45.1 °F at 8,000 ft, because 7,000 ft × 3.56 °F per 1000 ft is a drop of 24.9 °F. In metric: 20 °C at 500 m gives 7 °C at 2,500 m, and 30 °C at sea level gives 5.5 °C at 3,776 m, the height of Mount Fuji.
Limits of the estimate
- The NASA model is a curve fit of averaged measurements for a standard day; it assumes that temperature changes only with altitude.
- On a given day the weather can differ from this average, so treat the result as an estimate.
- Your own reading at a known elevation makes the estimate fit the current day better than the standard values alone.
How the boiling point falls with height is shown by the boiling point at altitude calculator; what thin warm air means for aircraft by the density altitude calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much does temperature drop per 1000 feet?
About 3.56 °F (1.98 °C) per 1000 ft in the NASA standard atmosphere, which is 0.00649 °C per meter.
How much colder is it per 100 meters?
0.649 °C per 100 m, or 6.49 °C per 1000 m, up to an elevation of 11,000 m.
If it is 70 °F at 1,000 ft, how cold is it at 8,000 ft?
About 45.1 °F according to the standard lapse rate – a drop of 24.9 °F over 7,000 ft.
What is the standard temperature at 5,000 m?
About −17.4 °C: 15.04 − 0.00649 × 5000.
Is the result exact?
No, it is an estimate from an averaged standard day. The real temperature also depends on the weather of that day.
Why does it stop at 11,000 m?
There the troposphere ends. In NASA’s model the temperature stays at −56.46 °C between 11,000 and 25,000 m.
Sources and legal basis
- NASA Glenn Research Center, Earth Atmosphere Model – Metric Units: troposphere up to 11,000 m, T = 15.04 − 0.00649·h (°C, m); lower stratosphere T = −56.46 °C; curve fit of averaged measurements, standard day (read 10.10.2026)
- NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8: 1 ft = 0.3048 m; 1 °F (temperature interval) = 5/9 °C (read 10.10.2026)
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