Encinitas recorded a high of 97 degrees Wednesday, Sept. 9, as a five-day heat wave fueled by former Hurricane Marie gripped North San Diego County.

The National Weather Service (NWS) reported the Encinitas reading under an Extreme Heat Warning that expired at 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. A Heat Advisory remained in effect through 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10. Nearby Escondido shattered its all-time Sept. 9 record, reaching 112 degrees and breaking the previous mark of 104 set in 2024. Vista hit 105, topping its old record of 98, also from 2024.

Escondido's climate record dates to 1893. Vista's goes back to 1957.

NWS forecaster Paul Steward told the Union-Tribune that temperatures should begin dropping Thursday and return to seasonal levels by the weekend. He attributed the oppressive feel to tropical moisture from Marie: "This reminds me of when I lived in Mississippi — hot and steamy."

NWS San Diego meteorologist Chandler Price told the North County Pipeline that moisture from post-tropical storm Marie combined with high pressure aloft to create what he called "Florida-like conditions."

Coastal areas including Encinitas were expected to fall into the 80s and lower 90s Thursday, with a returning marine layer bringing more noticeable cooling by Friday, according to the North Coast Current.

Three Cool Zone locations are open in the Encinitas and Cardiff area for residents seeking air-conditioned shelter: the Cardiff-by-the-Sea Branch Library at 2081 Newcastle Ave., the Encinitas Branch Library at 540 Cornish Drive and the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center at 2710 Manchester Ave. The locations appear on the county's Cool Zone list, according to the North Coast Current.

Surf pounds coast, closes Carlsbad parking lot

A large south swell driven by Hurricane Marie combined with high astronomical tides to batter the coastline.

California State Parks reported that recent swells and high tides eroded "significant sections" of Carlsbad State Beach, according to the North Coast Current. The Tamarack day-use parking lot was closed to vehicles, though pedestrian access remained open. State Parks said it did not know when the lot would reopen.

Waves also washed over railroad tracks in San Clemente on Monday night, Sept. 7, causing erosion and prompting a temporary closure of the coastal rail line. As we reported Sept. 9, Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains were running only as far south as San Juan Capistrano, with a bus bridge between Irvine and Oceanside. The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) said no reopening timeline had been established.

The NWS had forecast San Diego County surf reaching up to 7 feet over the weekend before easing to 2 to 4 feet by Wednesday. Rip-current risk, which had been high for much of the period, dropped to moderate by Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Residents can check Cool Zone availability through San Diego County's 2-1-1 information line.