Spanaway, Washington · field elev 445 ft
Density Altitude at Shady Acres (3B8)
Shady Acres sits at 445 ft, and even a typical August afternoon (77 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 1,692 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.
Typical density altitude by month
| Month | Avg temp °F | DA at avg temp | Afternoon high °F | DA on a typical afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39.7 | −729 ft | 46.1 | −292 ft |
| February | 40.6 | −667 ft | 48.0 | −164 ft |
| March | 44.0 | −434 ft | 52.4 | 131 ft |
| April | 48.0 | −164 ft | 57.3 | 456 ft |
| May | 54.4 | 264 ft | 64.3 | 913 ft |
| June | 59.0 | 568 ft | 69.0 | 1,216 ft |
| July | 64.0 | 894 ft | 75.7 | 1,642 ft |
| August | 64.5 | 926 ft | 76.5 | 1,692 ft |
| September | 58.9 | 561 ft | 69.6 | 1,254 ft |
| October | 50.4 | −2 ft | 59.1 | 574 ft |
| November | 43.2 | −489 ft | 50.3 | −9 ft |
| December | 39.0 | −777 ft | 45.0 | −367 ft |
▲ above 5,000 ft · ⚠ above 8,000 ft. These are planning references at standard pressure and dry air — afternoon humidity and low pressure both push the real number higher. Run today's values below.
Run today’s numbers for 3B8
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 445 ft — the air behaves like 1,724 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 446 ft
- ISA DEVIATION
- —
- RULE-OF-THUMB DA
- —
- AIR DENSITY INDEX
- —
- AIR DENSITY
- —
- WATER · GRAINS/LB
- —
For training and reference · verify with official sources and your POH before flight · no tool on this site renders a go / no-go judgment
Nearby Washington fields
- KPLU — Pierce County/Thun Field
Puyallup · elev 538 ft
- 2W3 — Swanson Field
Eatonville · elev 843 ft
- KTIW — Tacoma Narrows
Tacoma · elev 295 ft
- S50 — Auburn Municipal
Auburn · elev 63 ft
- 44T — Hoskins Field
Olympia · elev 213 ft
- S36 — Crest Airfield
Covington · elev 472 ft
- KOLM — Olympia Regional
Olympia · elev 208 ft
- KSEA — Seattle-Tacoma International
Seattle · elev 432 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at 3B8 in summer?
On a typical August afternoon — around 77 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Shady Acres reaches roughly 1,692 ft at standard pressure. Hotter-than-normal days, low pressure, and humidity all push it higher, so run the day's actual numbers before flying.
What is the density altitude at 3B8 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −777 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 926 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 445 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Shady Acres?
445 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is 3B8 (FAA), in Spanaway, Washington.