Estimating The Freezing Level

 

An essential part of pre-flight planning is to calculate the Freezing Level. You can estimate the freezing level by using temperature lapse rates.

The standard (average) temperature lapse rate is 2°C per 1000 feet. 

If the surface temperature is 16°C, subtract 0 and divide by 2°C. 

(16-0) / 2 = 8

The freezing level is approximately 8,000 feet AGL, assuming the actual lapse rate is close to 2°C per 1000 feet.

 

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