Encinitas, CA climate
Encinitas has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 48°, and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade4° warmer than normal today. The forecast high is 79°, and a typical Oct 1 in Encinitas peaks around 75°.Live forecast: National Weather Service · Normal: NOAA 1991–2020
What a year in Encinitas feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Encinitas weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 66° | 48° | 2.2" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| February | 65° | 48° | 2.5" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| March | 66° | 51° | 1.7" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| April | 67° | 53° | 0.7" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 68° | 57° | 0.3" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| June | 70° | 61° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| July | 74° | 64° | 0.0" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| August | 76° | 65° | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 76° | 63° | 0.1" | 0 | 1 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| October | 74° | 58° | 0.5" | 0 | 2 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| November | 70° | 52° | 0.9" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 66° | 47° | 1.6" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| Year | 70° | 56° | 10.8" | 0.0" | 34 | 0 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Encinitas
Encinitas gets 11 inches of rain and melted snow a year. February is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 34 days a year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Encinitas
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Encinitas, 71% of that work is heating and 29% is cooling.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Encinitas and its neighbors
Encinitas borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.2°. San Marcos has both the coldest January nights (45°) and the hottest July afternoons (82°). Encinitas’s January low is 48° and its July high 74°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Encinitas compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Encinitas averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°). The shift is larger than in 95% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Encinitas’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. March swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 54° to 65°. December is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Encinitas’s climate
What is the coldest month in Encinitas?
December, with a typical high of 66° and a low of 47°.
What is the hottest month in Encinitas?
August, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 65°. About 3 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Encinitas get?
Almost none. A normal year brings 0.0 inches.
When is the first frost in Encinitas?
Frost is uncommon. Only 1% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Encinitas?
February, with 2.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 11 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Encinitas itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Oceanside Marina, CA (13 mi, snow) and Carlsbad Palomar Airport, CA (5 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.