San Diego, California · field elev 526 ft
Density Altitude at Brown Field Municipal (KSDM)
Brown Field Municipal sits at 526 ft, and even a typical August afternoon (81 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,048 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 | 55.7 | 450 ft | 67.0 | 1,187 ft |
| February | 55.8 | 457 ft | 66.4 | 1,148 ft |
| March | 57.4 | 562 ft | 67.5 | 1,219 ft |
| April | 59.9 | 726 ft | 69.8 | 1,367 ft |
| May | 62.8 | 916 ft | 71.2 | 1,456 ft |
| June | 66.1 | 1,129 ft | 74.3 | 1,653 ft |
| July | 69.9 | 1,373 ft | 78.3 | 1,905 ft |
| August | 71.8 | 1,494 ft | 80.6 | 2,048 ft |
| September | 70.3 | 1,399 ft | 79.8 | 1,998 ft |
| October | 66.0 | 1,123 ft | 76.7 | 1,804 ft |
| November | 60.2 | 746 ft | 71.8 | 1,494 ft |
| December | 55.3 | 424 ft | 66.7 | 1,168 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 KSDM
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 526 ft — the air behaves like 2,073 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 527 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 California fields
- KSAN — San Diego International
San Diego · elev 17 ft
- KSEE — Gillespie Field
San Diego/El Cajon · elev 388 ft
- KMYF — Montgomery-Gibbs Exec
San Diego · elev 427 ft
- KRNM — Ramona
Ramona · elev 1,395 ft
- KCRQ — Mc Clellan-Palomar
Carlsbad · elev 331 ft
- L78 — Jacumba
Jacumba · elev 2,844 ft
- KOKB — Bob Maxwell Meml Airfield
Oceanside · elev 28 ft
- L18 — Fallbrook Community Airpark
Fallbrook · elev 711 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at KSDM in summer?
On a typical August afternoon — around 81 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Brown Field Municipal reaches roughly 2,048 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 KSDM on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly 424 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 1,494 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 526 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Brown Field Municipal?
526 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is KSDM (ICAO) / SDM (FAA), in San Diego, California.