Encinitas, CA Live Doppler Radar

Live radar for Encinitas, San Diego County: every NWS radar combined, rain, snow and ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and official warnings.

Open live radar for Encinitas What TALON shows

What weather hits Encinitas?

Since 1996, the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 148 days in the San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone and San Diego County — the most common reported hazard around Encinitas, mostly in August and January. Next come flooding (116 days) and wildfires (100 days).

Hazard	Days reported	Most recent	Worst on record
Flash flooding	148	Mar 2025	Jan 22, 2024 · 2 deaths · $100,000 damage
Flooding	116	Jan 2026	Dec 16, 2002 · 3 deaths · $60,000 damage
Wildfires	100	Jan 2025	Oct 25, 2003 · 14 deaths · $1.0 billion damage
Damaging thunderstorm winds	73	Feb 2026	Mar 22, 2007 · 3 deaths
Lightning casualties & damage	38	Dec 2023	Sep 2, 2001 · 1 death
Excessive heat	28	Aug 2025	—
Debris flows	24	Aug 2024	Oct 3, 2007 · $48 million damage
High winds	17	Feb 2023	Feb 17, 2017 · 1 death · $7.1 million damage

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1996–2026 (the latest year is partial). A "day" is a date with at least one report in the San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone and San Diego County; damage is as reported, not adjusted for inflation.

Which radars cover Encinitas?

The closest NEXRAD Doppler radar is KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 16 miles southeast. Radar beams climb as they travel, so the height of the lowest scan over town decides how low in a storm the radar can see.

Radar	Distance	Lowest beam over Encinitas	View
KNKX San Diego, CA	16 mi southeast	800 ft	Excellent — the lowest scan sees close to the ground
KSOX Santa Ana Mountains, CA	57 mi north-northwest	4,300 ft	Good — most storms and steady rain or snow show clearly
KEYX Edwards AFB, CA	143 mi north	16,700 ft	Limited — the beam overshoots the lowest part of storms

Beam height is the center of the 0.5° scan above the radar, with standard refraction. Mountains near a radar can block it further.

Tornado & hail history near Encinitas

Since 1950, NOAA has recorded 20 tornadoes within 25 miles of Encinitas. Most came in February and March. The strongest was an F1 on October 8, 1961, which touched down about 10 miles north-northwest of town. The most recent was an EF0 on September 22, 2007, which touched down about 2 miles southwest of town.

Hail: 5 reports of 1-inch or larger hail within 25 miles since 1955; the largest was 1.00-inch hail on June 3, 2009.

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center — tornadoes 1950–2025, hail 1955–2025. Distances are to each tornado's track; ratings before February 2007 use the original Fujita scale.

On TALON you get Encinitas's live radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks with arrival times and NWS warnings free; close-up radar and rotation detection are part of TALON Pro.

Encinitas radar FAQ

Where is the nearest weather radar to Encinitas, CA?

KNKX (San Diego, CA), about 16 miles southeast. KSOX (Santa Ana Mountains, CA) is 57 miles away and also covers the area.

How often does Encinitas flood?

Since 1996 the National Weather Service has logged flash flooding on 148 days in the San Diego County Coastal Areas forecast zone and San Diego County; the deadliest was on January 22, 2024, with 2 deaths. TALON's free flash-flood risk layer shows, every 2 minutes, how close the rain that has fallen is to what it takes to flood — turn it on under Layers.

Is TALON's radar for Encinitas free?

Yes — the US radar loop, rain/snow/ice colors, flash-flood risk, storm tracks and NWS warnings are free in any browser. Close-up radar, rotation detection and longer forecasts are part of TALON Pro.

Should I rely on radar for my safety?

No app replaces official warnings. When the National Weather Service issues a warning for Encinitas, follow it right away — see watch vs. warning.

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