Thermal ceiling
The height to which rising warm air climbs before thermals die out.
Also known as
- top of lift standard term
Terms and slang labels apply to this language. Usage may differ in other languages.
What it means
Pilots often use it loosely as another word for cloudbase, but the two differ. On a cumulus day cloudbase usually caps the climb; on a blue day an inversion sets the ceiling.
Example in context
The thermal ceiling was low today, so I hardly got above the ridge.
Sources and review
- NWS Spokane: Soaring Forecast Information (opens in a new tab)
- soaringmeteo.org: Soaring forecast guide (soarV2EN) (opens in a new tab)
- Jakub Vrána — Paraglidingový slang: o termice (opens in a new tab)
Reviewed: