Jonesville, North Carolina · field elev 1,137 ft

Density Altitude at Swan Creek (78A)

Swan Creek sits at 1,137 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (87 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 3,195 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈3,195 ft station: ELKIN · 4 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at ELKIN (4 mi from the field) · standard pressure, dry air
Month Avg temp °F DA at avg temp Afternoon high °F DA on a typical afternoon
January 35.9 −128 ft 48.7 741 ft
February 38.4 44 ft 52.4 987 ft
March 45.5 526 ft 60.3 1,506 ft
April 54.9 1,152 ft 70.0 2,129 ft
May 64.0 1,745 ft 77.2 2,583 ft
June 72.2 2,269 ft 84.3 3,023 ft
July 75.9 2,502 ft 87.1 3,195 ft
August 74.5 2,414 ft 85.8 3,115 ft
September 68.6 2,040 ft 80.3 2,776 ft
October 56.8 1,277 ft 71.3 2,212 ft
November 46.2 573 ft 60.7 1,532 ft
December 39.0 85 ft 51.5 928 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 78A

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 3,189 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 3,189 ft

Field elevation 1,137 ft — the air behaves like 3,189 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
1,138 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 North Carolina fields

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Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at 78A in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 87 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Swan Creek reaches roughly 3,195 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 78A on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −128 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,502 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 1,137 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Swan Creek?

1,137 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is 78A (FAA), in Jonesville, North Carolina.