Conditions at Hovden in January
January: The Deep Midwinter Groundswell Machine
January is the peak of the Norwegian winter surf calendar, with an average swell height around 5-6ft (1.5-1.8m) and an average period of 9.9s. The wave rose shows a powerful west-northwest flow: W accounts for 15.0% of all swell observations, followed by WSW 12.2%, WNW 11.4%, NW 10.3%, and SW 11.0% - nearly 60% of all swell arriving from the ideal SW-to-NW window. Many of these pulses sit in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range, and once the period pushes into 10-14s the beach is properly pumping. The main issue is wind: SSE and S winds dominate with 13.7% and 12.8% respectively, while only 13% of the time is truly ideal (NE through SE offshore). When high pressure settles over Scandinavia, those cold offshore E/SE winds groom the W groundswell into clean, hollow peaks. Air temperatures average 1.9°C and water sits at 6.7°C, with 8.11 mm/day of precipitation - so bring the thickest wetsuit and embrace the grimy North Atlantic winter.
Average Spot conditions at Hovden in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Hovden 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 Hovden for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Hovden 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 Hovden.