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Kinetic parameters for the reaction of OH radical initiated atmospheric oxidation of (E)-2-pentenal were computed using ab initio methods, viz. G3MP2 coupled with conventional transition state theory with the Wigner tunnelling corrections in the temperature range 200–400 K. Every stationary point on the potential energy surface was obtained at MP2 (FULL)/6-31G* level of theory. Arrhenius rate expression for the title reaction with G3MP2 theory was computed to be k = (2.57 ± 0.33) × 10−13 exp[(1482 ± 53)/T] cm3 mol−1 s−1. The OH-driven atmospheric lifetime of (E)-2-pentenal in the Earth's troposphere was calculated to be 5 h, with diurnally averaged concentration of OH radicals taken as 1.6 × 106 mol−1 cm−3. The results obtained are in good agreement with the experimental results.