Salton City, California · field elev −84 ft

Density Altitude at Salton Sea (KSAS)

Salton Sea sits at −84 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (107 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,885 ft — heat still trims performance, but the field rarely turns high-and-hot.

worst typical month: July · ≈2,885 ft station: MECCA FIRE STN · 24 mi away normals vintage 1991–2020

Typical density altitude by month

From NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals at MECCA FIRE STN (24 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 57.2 −204 ft 70.4 656 ft
February 60.6 20 ft 73.9 879 ft
March 67.3 456 ft 80.8 1,315 ft
April 73.0 822 ft 86.9 1,694 ft
May 80.4 1,290 ft 94.6 2,166 ft
June 87.4 1,725 ft 102.5 2,641 ft
July 93.3 2,087 ft 106.6 2,885 ft
August 93.2 2,081 ft 106.2 2,861 ft
September 87.6 1,738 ft 101.5 2,582 ft
October 76.6 1,051 ft 91.2 1,959 ft
November 64.2 255 ft 78.0 1,139 ft
December 55.5 −317 ft 68.9 559 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 KSAS

Altimeter-style gauge: field elevation and density altitude needles 03691215 DENSITY ALT ×1,000 FT 2,909 DENSITY ALTITUDE · FEET
field elevation density altitude

DENSITY ALTITUDE 2,909 ft

Field elevation −84 ft — the air behaves like 2,909 ft.

PRESSURE ALT
−83 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 KSAS in summer?

On a typical July afternoon — around 107 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Salton Sea reaches roughly 2,885 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 KSAS on an average day?

It swings with the seasons: from roughly −317 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,087 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of −84 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.

What is the field elevation of Salton Sea?

−84 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KSAS (ICAO) / SAS (FAA), in Salton City, California.