Conditions at Bordeira in January
January: The Full Force of the North Atlantic
January is the heart of winter at Bordeira. The average swell height sits at 2.4m (7.9ft) with a powerful 13.1s period, meaning the beach is regularly exposed to serious, long-period groundswell. The swell rose is dominated by NW (27.5%) and WNW (16.9%) - both prime directions for this NW-facing stretch - with a big chunk of the energy arriving in the 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) range and around 2.5% pushing into XL territory above 2.5m (8ft). This is proper Atlantic juice.
The catch is wind. Ideal offshore flow from W/WSW/SW/SSW only blows 24 percent of the time. The prevailing wind actually comes from the NNW (17%) and NNE (12.3%), which can put a serious chop or cross-shore texture on the wave face. Air temps average 13.8°C, water sits at 15.7°C, and the 1.96mm/day of rain keeps the region fresh. When a negative North Atlantic Oscillation pattern parks low pressure near the Azores, expect some of the cleanest, heaviest sessions of the year.
Average Spot conditions at Bordeira in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Bordeira 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 Bordeira for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Bordeira 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 Bordeira.