Cold Bay, Alaska · field elev 100 ft
Density Altitude at Cold Bay (PACD)
Cold Bay sits at 100 ft, and even its warmest typical afternoon (August, 57 °F) leaves density altitude around 23 ft — below the field elevation itself. Cold, dense air is the norm here; watch for the opposite altimetry problem on cold days instead.
Typical density altitude by month
| Month | Avg temp °F | DA at avg temp | Afternoon high °F | DA on a typical afternoon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28.4 | −1,948 ft | 33.2 | −1,610 ft |
| February | 30.2 | −1,821 ft | 35.0 | −1,484 ft |
| March | 29.9 | −1,842 ft | 35.4 | −1,456 ft |
| April | 35.0 | −1,484 ft | 40.2 | −1,124 ft |
| May | 41.0 | −1,069 ft | 46.5 | −693 ft |
| June | 47.1 | −653 ft | 52.1 | −316 ft |
| July | 51.5 | −356 ft | 56.2 | −43 ft |
| August | 52.6 | −283 ft | 57.2 | 23 ft |
| September | 48.4 | −565 ft | 53.4 | −229 ft |
| October | 41.3 | −1,048 ft | 46.5 | −693 ft |
| November | 35.3 | −1,463 ft | 39.9 | −1,144 ft |
| December | 30.8 | −1,779 ft | 35.6 | −1,442 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 PACD
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 100 ft — the air behaves like 10 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 101 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 Alaska fields
- PAVC — King Cove
King Cove · elev 149 ft
- PAKF — False Pass
False Pass · elev 18 ft
- PAOU — Nelson Lagoon
Nelson Lagoon · elev 14 ft
- PASD — Sand Point
Sand Point · elev 24 ft
- Z52 — Johnsons Landing
Bear Lake · elev 130 ft
- PAUT — Akutan
Akutan · elev 129 ft
- PAPE — Perryville
Perryville · elev 30 ft
- A79 — Chignik Lake
Chignik Lake · elev 50 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at PACD in summer?
On a typical August afternoon — around 57 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Cold Bay reaches roughly 23 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 PACD on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −1,948 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about −283 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 100 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Cold Bay?
100 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is PACD (ICAO) / CDB (FAA), in Cold Bay, Alaska.