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Lifting Condensation Level Calculator

This calculator requires the use of Javascript enabled and capable browsers. This calculator was designed to calculate the lifting condensation level (LCL) for a mass of air lifted from the surface; however, you can also calculate the LCL conditions for an air parcel at any other pressure level by substituting the appropriate values. The LCL conditions are calculated using only three atmospheric input parameters that are commonly measured and reported during most local televised weather forecasts. They are surface temperature, surface dewpoint, and surface pressure. Enter the surface temperature also in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit (although all such temperature calculations are done essentially in Kelvin), and enter the reported dewpoint temperature in degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit. Here is more information of Celsius, Fahrenheit, Kelvin, Réaumur, and Rankine Temperature Conversion and here is more information provided by our Dew Point And Relative Humidity Calculator. Please keep in mind that the dewpoint temperatures are NEVER greater than observed temperatures. The final data required is that of surface pressure. Verify that you enter the reported surface pressure rather than the sea level pressure. If your data from a surface map, it is highly probable the pressure provided is a sea level pressure. The calculation is flawed if the wrong data is used. The surface pressure value should be entered in kiloPascals (kPa) or pounds per square inch (PSI). Surface pressures commonly range from 92.0 kPa to 103.0 kPa, depending on the surface topography and weather conditions of the area. Click on Calculate.

The pressure at the LCL is presented in kiloPascals (kPa), and other logical designations. This pressure represents the pressure level in the atmosphere at which a lifted air mass with an initial temperature of T, and an initial pressure of P, would have a relative humidity of 100% (totally saturated). The pressure at the LCL is always lower than the initial pressure of the air mass unless the air is saturated initially, in which case, the two pressures are equal. Pressure always decreases with altitude. The airmass temperature at the LCL is displayed as a value in degrees Celsius, Fahrenheit and Kelvin. This temperature is the temperature the air mass would have, if lifted to the LCL and, in virtually all cases, is not equal to the surrounding air temperature. The temperature of the air mass at the LCL is ALWAYS lower than the initial temperature of the air mass unless the air is totally saturated. For saturated air, the surface temperature, dew point, and the LCL temperatures are all equal to each other, and the slightest cooling (lifting) will produce condensation!

Unit
Number
Required Data Entry
Surface Temperature °F  °C 
Surface Dew Point °F  °C 
Surface Pressure kPa  PSI 
   


Calculated Results
Pressure At LCL kPa
Pressure At LCL Pa
Pressure At LCL PSI
Pressure At LCL BAR
Pressure At LCL mBAR
Pressure At LCL InHg
Pressure At LCL atm
Temperature At LCL Degrees C
Temperature At LCL Degrees F
Temperature At LCL Degrees K
Updated 8.17.11


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