Rochester, Washington · field elev 149 ft

Density Altitude at R & K Skyranch (8W9)

R & K Skyranch sits at 149 ft, and even a typical August afternoon (78 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 1,437 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: August · ≈1,437 ft station: CENTRALIA · 10 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at CENTRALIA (10 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 40.2 −1,063 ft 46.1 −660 ft
February 41.7 −960 ft 49.5 −430 ft
March 45.0 −734 ft 54.1 −122 ft
April 49.3 −443 ft 59.5 235 ft
May 55.5 −29 ft 66.6 698 ft
June 60.1 274 ft 71.1 987 ft
July 65.2 607 ft 77.5 1,393 ft
August 65.5 626 ft 78.2 1,437 ft
September 60.5 301 ft 72.6 1,082 ft
October 51.9 −269 ft 61.1 340 ft
November 43.9 −809 ft 50.7 −349 ft
December 39.4 −1,118 ft 45.0 −734 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 8W9

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 1,424 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 1,424 ft

Field elevation 149 ft — the air behaves like 1,424 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
150 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

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Frequently asked questions

How high does density altitude get at 8W9 in summer?

On a typical August afternoon — around 78 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at R & K Skyranch reaches roughly 1,437 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 8W9 on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −1,118 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 626 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 149 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of R & K Skyranch?

149 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is 8W9 (FAA), in Rochester, Washington.