Conditions at Praia das Bicas in January
January: Midwinter Muscle
January is the heart of the Portuguese winter. Average swell height sits around 6-7ft (2.0m) with a long 13-second period, so Bicas sees a steady diet of powerful, well-organized groundswell. The swell direction is led by WNW at 37.4% and NW at 22.8%, with secondary W at 9.6% - a perfect match for the west-facing beach. A solid chunk of the energy packs 1.5-2.5m (5-8ft) wave heights, making it easy to find heavy, grinding peaks. Wind direction is mixed: NNW is the most common single direction at 15.1%, but the east-northeast through southeast quadrant is active enough that ideal offshore winds blow 31% of the time. Water temperature is a cool 14.8°C, air temperature averages 12.9°C (min 4.7°C, max 18.1°C), and precipitation runs 2.28 mm/day, so expect passing cold fronts to punctuate the swells.
Average Spot conditions at Praia das Bicas in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Praia das Bicas 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 Praia das Bicas for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Praia das Bicas 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 Praia das Bicas.