Temperature at Altitude Calculator
Estimate how much colder the air gets as altitude increases, using the standard atmospheric lapse rate.
What This Calculator Does
Air temperature generally decreases as you go higher in the atmosphere. This calculator estimates the temperature at a given altitude based on a known sea-level (or ground-level) starting temperature, using the standard atmospheric lapse rate.
The Formula
In the troposphere (up to about 11,000 meters), temperature drops at a standard rate of 6.5°C per 1,000 meters: T(h) = T₀ − 0.0065 × h, where h is altitude in meters. Above 11,000 meters, the standard atmosphere model treats temperature as roughly constant in the lower stratosphere.
Note: Real-world temperature profiles vary with weather, humidity, and local conditions — this calculator uses the idealized International Standard Atmosphere model, useful for general estimation, aviation, and educational purposes.