Conditions at Santa Comba in January
January: Winter's Peak Fury
January is one of the heaviest months of the year at Santa Comba. The average swell height reaches 3.0m (9.8ft) with a long-period 12.9s, meaning the Atlantic is absolutely packing a punch. The dominant swell directions are WNW (14.3%), NW (11.5%), and NNW (6.5%), with a solid contribution from W (5.7%) and the N/NNE/NE quadrant feeding in another 5.6%. This combination puts the spot directly in the sweet spot for west-northwest and northwest groundswell, producing powerful, well-organized lines. On the wind side, offshore S, SSW and SW directions combine for roughly 35% of the observations, which explains the 30% ideal-wind figure. The classic January setup features a low pressure system to the north or northwest, then a cold front sweeping through and winds clocking from the south or southwest, grooming the NW swell into clean, glassy walls. Air temperatures average 8.9C with occasional frost, water temps sit at 13.5C, and precipitation runs 4.12mm/day, so expect low-pressure cloud and rain showers between bright, windy clean-up sessions.
Average Spot conditions at Santa Comba in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Santa Comba 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 Santa Comba for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Santa Comba 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 Santa Comba.