Moneta, Virginia · field elev 892 ft
Density Altitude at Smith Mountain Lake (W91)
Smith Mountain Lake sits at 892 ft, and even a typical July afternoon (86 °F) only lifts density altitude to about 2,854 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 | 37.3 | −337 ft | 46.9 | 317 ft |
| February | 39.2 | −206 ft | 49.9 | 518 ft |
| March | 47.1 | 330 ft | 58.1 | 1,060 ft |
| April | 57.4 | 1,014 ft | 69.7 | 1,810 ft |
| May | 64.3 | 1,463 ft | 74.7 | 2,126 ft |
| June | 72.1 | 1,962 ft | 82.4 | 2,607 ft |
| July | 76.5 | 2,240 ft | 86.4 | 2,854 ft |
| August | 74.9 | 2,139 ft | 85.2 | 2,780 ft |
| September | 68.7 | 1,746 ft | 78.9 | 2,390 ft |
| October | 57.5 | 1,021 ft | 68.7 | 1,746 ft |
| November | 48.1 | 397 ft | 58.8 | 1,106 ft |
| December | 40.4 | −124 ft | 49.5 | 491 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 W91
DENSITY ALTITUDE
Field elevation 892 ft — the air behaves like 2,829 ft.
- PRESSURE ALT
- 893 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 Virginia fields
- W90 — New London
Forest · elev 842 ft
- KROA — Roanoke/Blacksburg Regional (Woodrum Field)
Roanoke · elev 1,175 ft
- KLYH — Lynchburg Regional/Preston Glenn Field
Lynchburg · elev 938 ft
- 0V4 — Brookneal/Campbell County
Brookneal · elev 597 ft
- W24 — Falwell
Lynchburg · elev 939 ft
- KDAN — Danville Regional
Danville · elev 571 ft
- KMTV — Blue Ridge
Martinsville · elev 948 ft
- KBCB — Virginia Tech/Montgomery Exec
Blacksburg · elev 2,119 ft
Frequently asked questions
How high does density altitude get at W91 in summer?
On a typical July afternoon — around 86 °F at the nearest NOAA normals station — density altitude at Smith Mountain Lake reaches roughly 2,854 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 W91 on an average day?
It swings with the seasons: from roughly −337 ft at the coldest month's average temperature to about 2,240 ft at the warmest month's — all from a constant field elevation of 892 ft. The month-by-month table above carries the full year.
What is the field elevation of Smith Mountain Lake?
892 ft MSL, from the FAA NASR airport record (28-day cycle effective 2026-08-06). The identifier is W91 (FAA), in Moneta, Virginia.