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Conditions at Cannon Beach in January
January: Winter's Heavyweight
January is the heart of winter surf at Cannon Beach. The North Pacific storm track is running at full tilt, and the average swell height is a solid 8ft (2.4m) with a long-period 12.5s interval. The swell window is dominated by W (26 percent), WSW (16 percent) and WNW (12 percent), with most of the energy sitting in the 1.5-2.5m range. This is genuine, powerful groundswell, and when the Aleutian Low is active the outer sandbars can hold well-overhead waves.
Wind is the key to unlocking January. Offshore flow from ENE through SE accounts for a healthy 32 percent of the wind distribution, and the wind is ideal for surfing 35 percent of the time, making this one of the most favorable months of the year for clean, groomed surf. Still, S and SSW winds combine for another 23 percent, usually arriving with fronts and rain. When the wind is offshore, this west-facing beach lines up perfectly; when it swings W or NW, quality drops fast. Air temps average 5.4°C and water sits at 9.2°C, so bring the thickest wetsuit, hood, gloves and boots.
Average Spot conditions at Cannon Beach in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Cannon Beach 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 Cannon Beach for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Cannon Beach 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 Cannon Beach.