Conditions at Aterro in January
January: Peak-Season Power and Cold-Water Grit
January is the meat of the Portuguese winter. With an average swell height of 8-9ft (2.5-2.7m) and an average period of 12.8 seconds, Aterro rarely sleeps. The dominant energy arrives from the WNW (22.1%) and NW (17.2%), with a healthy assist from W (6.8%) and WSW (2.3%) - all right in the optimal swell window for this west-northwest-facing sandbar. These are long-period, powerful groundswells generated by deep North Atlantic lows, with a solid share of sets in the 1.5-2.5m range.
The wind story is more volatile. Offshore and easterly flow is enough to produce ideal conditions about 47% of the time, with E (10.5%), ESE (7.8%), SE (5.9%) and S (7.7%) winds bringing cleaner, lined-up surf. However, NNW (10.8%) and N/NNE winds can dominate in the wake of cold fronts, adding cross-shore chop. Expect cold, wet weather - air temperatures around 10.4°C, water at 13.6°C - with persistent Atlantic fronts passing through.
Average Spot conditions at Aterro in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Aterro 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 Aterro for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Aterro 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 Aterro.