Encinitas has a very mild Mediterranean climate, kept moderate by the Pacific Ocean. The average daily high is about 72 °F (22 °C). Temperatures below 40 °F (4 °C) or above 85 °F (29 °C) are rare, and rainfall averages about 10 inches (250 mm) a year, most of it in winter and spring.[1]
Seasons
The year divides into a cool, sometimes wet season from winter into spring and a dry season from summer through fall.[1]
| Season | Daytime | Night | Ocean | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | about 65 °F | 45–55 °F | 60 °F | Most rain; occasional strong Pacific storms |
| Spring | about 65 °F | 45–55 °F | 64 °F | Marine layer, "May Gray" |
| Summer | 75–85 °F | upper 50s–60s °F | 70 °F | "June Gloom" early, then sunny |
| Fall | 75–85 °F | upper 50s–60s °F | 66 °F | Often the warmest, clearest weeks |
Figures are the typical ranges given in the city's encyclopedic climate summary.[1]
Marine layer
In late spring and early summer, a layer of low cloud and fog often covers the coast in the morning. Locally this is called May Gray and June Gloom. It usually burns off by midday inland but can linger at the beach.[1] Areas east of the coastal ridge, such as New Encinitas and Olivenhain, tend to clear sooner and run a few degrees warmer in summer than the bluffs of Leucadia or Cardiff.
Rain and storms
Average rainfall is about 10 inches a year. Most falls from strong Pacific storms in winter, and the area had rounds of severe thunderstorms in the winter of 2015–2016.[1] Heavy rain matters locally for two reasons. Runoff into creeks such as Cottonwood Creek, which drains onto Moonlight Beach, has caused water-quality problems in the past; it was largely solved by an ultraviolet treatment plant on B Street, after which the beach earned mostly "A" grades from Heal the Bay between 2005 and 2007.[2] And the coastal bluffs, especially in the north of the city, are prone to collapse onto the narrow beaches below.[1]
Ocean temperatures
Sea-surface temperatures average about 60 °F in winter, 64 °F in spring, 70 °F in summer and 66 °F in fall.[1] Most surfers wear a full wetsuit from late fall to spring and a spring suit or trunks in late summer. The winter months, with colder water, bring the biggest swells to point breaks like Swami's.[3]
Living with the climate
The mild climate supports year-round outdoor life, including beach volleyball at Moonlight Beach since the early 1950s,[2] as well as horticulture: the San Diego Botanic Garden grows more than 5,000 plant species and varieties outdoors.[4] Many older coastal homes were built without air conditioning, though heat waves in late summer and fall make cooling more common. The HVAC directory page lists local heating and cooling contractors.
Seasonal calendar
The weather shapes the city's calendar. The two-day April Street Fair comes at the end of the rainy season, and the Switchfoot Bro-Am surf contest in early July falls in the June Gloom season. The Wavecrest Woodie Meet on the third Saturday of September, Oktoberfest on the last Sunday of September and the November Fall Festival all fall in the warm, dry fall, often the clearest weeks of the year.[1] See annual events.
Common questions
- What is the weather like in Encinitas by month?
- Winter and spring days are about 65 °F, with most of the year's roughly 10 inches of rain. Summer and fall days run 75–85 °F and are dry, and May and June mornings are often foggy.
- How warm is the ocean in Encinitas?
- About 60 °F in winter, 64 °F in spring, 70 °F in summer and 66 °F in fall.
- Does it snow in Encinitas?
- No. Temperatures below 40 °F are rare.
See also
Notes and sources
- Encinitas, California. Wikipedia.
- Moonlight State Beach. Wikipedia.
- Swami's. Wikipedia.
- San Diego Botanic Garden. Wikipedia.