Conditions at Baleal in January
January: Maximum Winter Muscle
January is the heart of the Portuguese winter and Baleal is in full-on groundswell mode. Average swell height checks in at 2.8m (9ft) and the 13.1s average period puts most waves in the powerful long-period range. The swell rose is dominated by WNW (15.2%), NW (18.4%) and NNW (8.0%), with the bulk of that energy pushing through the 1.5-2.5m range - that is firing, pumping beach-break territory. True N and NE swells remain rare, but when they appear they hit the exposed sandbars perfectly.
Wind is the great discriminator in January. The onshore NNW flow blows 13.8% of the time, with N and NNE adding more rough conditions, but the offshore window from SSE/S/SSW/SW totals close to 20% of observations. With ideal surfing winds 24% of the time, there are many more workable sessions than in summer. Add an average air temperature of 12.2°C, water at 14.4°C and 2.82mm/day of winter rain, and you get a classic Atlantic surf setup: cold, raw, powerful, and relentlessly good when the wind aligns.
Average Spot conditions at Baleal in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Baleal during January. Based on historical data, there is a % probability of groundswell occurring this month. The chart below provides a detailed breakdown of the average wave height distribution, offering deep insights into the swell quality and surf potential you can expect at Baleal for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Baleal for January. Our analysis shows that favorable offshore or side-shore winds coincide with surfable swell approximately % of the time. The accompanying graph illustrates the average size distribution of waves during these optimal wind windows at Baleal.