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How does air temperature affect the speed of sound?

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Acoustics — acoustics Artificial omni-directional sound source in an anechoic acoustic chamber.

In physics, the speed of sound in a gas, such as air, increases as the temperature rises.1

This relationship is defined by the fact that the speed of sound in an ideal gas depends solely on its absolute temperature. Mathematically, the wave velocity is proportional to the square root of the absolute temperature. Because the speed of sound is independent of pressure when the gas behaves ideally, temperature is the primary factor influencing its propagation speed in the atmosphere.2

For reference, the speed of sound in dry air at 0 °C (32 °F) is 331.29 metres (1,086.9 feet) per second. As the temperature increases, the kinetic energy of the gas molecules increases, allowing the sound wave disturbances to be transmitted more rapidly through the medium.234