Santa Ana winds will push Encinitas temperatures near 80°F on Thursday, Oct. 15, and into the low 80s Friday and Saturday, days after Tropical Storm Rachel soaked the region.

The National Weather Service San Diego issued a High Wind Watch for San Diego County mountains and valleys from Thursday morning through Saturday evening. A Heat Advisory covers coastal San Diego County from 10 a.m. Thursday through 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.

The agency's area forecast discussion calls for gusts of 35 to 45 mph on Thursday, 45 to 55 mph on Friday and 35 to 45 mph on Saturday across San Diego County's inland areas. Santa Ana winds could extend nearly to the coast on Friday, the discussion states.

The strongest winds are expected Friday afternoon.

In Encinitas, Friday's NWS point forecast calls for northeast winds of 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph and a high near 82°F.

NWS San Diego said on X on Tuesday, Oct. 13, that the offshore winds would warm and dry out the coastal basin. The agency advised residents to secure loose outdoor items.

Fire-weather concerns

The wind event raises fire-weather concerns as dry offshore air replaces moisture left by Rachel's weekend rains. The North Coast Current reported that temperatures could climb as much as 15 degrees above seasonal averages in some coastal and inland areas on Friday.

Humidity could plunge to between 8% and 20% in mountain areas and as low as 5% elsewhere, according to Patch, quickly drying out vegetation despite the recent wet weather. No red flag warning had been issued for San Diego County as of Wednesday, Oct. 14, though the NWS area forecast discussion noted elevated ignition risk.

Bluff erosion watch

The gusty offshore winds also raise questions about Encinitas's coastal bluffs. A bluff collapse on Thursday, Sept. 17, near Grandview Street and Neptune Avenue closed Grandview Beach, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. No injuries were reported. City officials closed access within 300 feet north and south of the staircase.

Adam Young, a coastal geomorphologist at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, told the Union-Tribune in September that the collapse was "one of the largest ones San Diego has seen this year."

How to prepare

Residents can register cell phones for emergency alerts through AlertSanDiego. Landline phones are already in the system. Cell phones, internet phones and email require registration.

The NWS recommends securing patio furniture, trash cans and other loose items that could become projectiles in high winds.