Wainwright, Alaska · field elev 45 ft
Density Altitude at Wainwright (PAWI)
Wainwright sits at 45 ft, and even its warmest typical afternoon (July, 52 °F) leaves density altitude around −378 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 | −10.8 | −4,946 ft | −3.9 | −4,408 ft |
| February | −11.4 | −4,993 ft | −4.7 | −4,470 ft |
| March | −10.6 | −4,930 ft | −3.5 | −4,377 ft |
| April | 3.8 | −3,820 ft | 10.8 | −3,295 ft |
| May | 24.1 | −2,324 ft | 28.9 | −1,982 ft |
| June | 39.4 | −1,247 ft | 45.9 | −802 ft |
| July | 45.5 | −830 ft | 52.2 | −378 ft |
| August | 43.1 | −993 ft | 48.5 | −626 ft |
| September | 34.9 | −1,560 ft | 38.9 | −1,282 ft |
| October | 20.9 | −2,555 ft | 25.7 | −2,210 ft |
| November | 5.4 | −3,699 ft | 11.8 | −3,221 ft |
| December | −6.6 | −4,617 ft | −0.3 | −4,131 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 PAWI
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 45 ft — the air behaves like −391 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 46 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
- PATQ — Atqasuk Edward Burnell Sr Meml
Atqasuk · elev 101 ft
- PABR — Wiley Post-Will Rogers Meml
Utqiagvik · elev 49 ft
- PPIZ — Point Lay Lrrs
Point Lay · elev 29 ft
- PAUM — Umiat
Umiat · elev 268 ft
- PAQT — Nuiqsut
Nuiqsut · elev 45 ft
- PAPO — Point Hope
Point Hope · elev 21 ft
- PAWN — Noatak
Noatak · elev 92 ft
- PAVL — Kivalina
Kivalina · elev 18 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at PAWI in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 52 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Wainwright reaches roughly −378 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 PAWI on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −4,993 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about −830 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 45 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Wainwright?
45 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is PAWI (ICAO) / AWI (FAA), in Wainwright, Alaska.