How much does temperature decrease with altitude?
Disclaimer How is temperature affected by altitude? In: Meteorology and Weather Answer Temperature changes with an increase or decrease of altitude. This change is known as the “lapse rate” and it varies depending on the amount of moisture in the particular mass of air. The “dry adiabatic lapse rate” (for dry air masses) is a temperature decrease of about 3 degrees C per thousand feet of altitude, while the “wet adiabatic lapse rate” (for moist air masses) is a temperature decrease of about 1.5 degrees C per thousand feet of altitude. The Standard Day temperature for aircraft flight planning is 59 degrees F at sea-level with an atmospheric pressure of 29.92 in.Hg. At those condition the temperature decreases 3.56 degrees F for every 1000 feet of altitude until 36,152 feet, which is the limit of the lower stratosphere.
