Rule of thumb · EnvironmentalNº 06 / 238

Boiling point falls with altitude

Why does water boil at a lower temperature at altitude?

Water boils about 1 °C cooler for every 300 m of altitude.

Why it works

Lower pressure means less energy needed to boil. At 3,000 m water boils near 90 °C — food takes noticeably longer.

When it fails

The 1 °C per 300 m rule is a local linearisation and drifts high up: by 5,000 m water boils near 83 °C, not the 84 the rule predicts, and the error grows. Weather matters too — a deep low can shift the boiling point as much as a few hundred metres of altitude.

Do it exactly

Estimate with the rule, then check it against the calculator that models it properly.

Open Altitude & Depth →

More in Environmental

← PreviousTen metres of water = one atmosphere Next →Dew point is the comfort number

Browse the full Rulebook →

Rules of thumb are approximations, offered to get you to the right order of magnitude fast. Check anything load-bearing against its source or the exact tool. Privacy · Terms

© 2026 Rules of Thumb · Runs entirely in your browser