Conditions at Cova da Alfarroba in January
January: North Atlantic Heavyweight
January is the heart of the winter season at Cova da Alfarroba. Average swell height sits at 9ft (2.8m) with a powerful 13.1-second period, so the water is full of heavy, long-period groundswell. The wind rose shows NW (18%) and WNW (15%) as the dominant swell directions, with NNW (8%) feeding in plenty of north energy. That is exactly the direction window this north-facing beach wants to see. The catch is wind: ideal offshore flow from the S/SSW/SW occurs just 26% of the time, while NNW (14%) and NNE (9%) winds blow onshore and quickly make things ragged. These northerlies are the classic post-frontal signal, so success in January is about picking the southerly pre-frontal windows. Air temperatures average 12.2°C and water 14.4°C; bring the hooded 5/4. When everything lines up, expect firing, world-class Portuguese beach break.
Average Spot conditions at Cova da Alfarroba in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cova da Alfarroba 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 Cova da Alfarroba for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cova da Alfarroba 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 Cova da Alfarroba.