Conditions at Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo in January
January: The North Atlantic Delivers the Goods (If the Wind Cooperates)
January is the heart of the Azorean winter, with average swell heights near 6ft (1.9m) and a mean period of 10.5s pushing the surf into powerful, long-period territory. The dominant components of the wave rose are W, WNW and WSW swells - together accounting for over a third of all readings - but these are largely shadowed or unfocused at this south-facing shore. What matters is the S/SSW/SW window, which totals roughly 13% of observations. Within that window, SW is the leading direction, and a substantial portion arrives at 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) plus occasional overhead-plus bombs. When this southerly energy lines up with a N/NNE/NE/NNW offshore breeze, January can produce heavy, grinding, firing waves.
The weak link is wind. Offshore flow is present only 8% of the time, while onshore S/SSW/SW winds blow around 28% of the time, often in the warm sectors of Atlantic lows. Air temperatures average 15.4°C (min 10.6°C, max 19.1°C) and water temperature is 16.3°C, with substantial rainfall at 2.75mm/day. Expect to do some serious forecast hunting this month; the reward is some of the most powerful swell of the year.
Average Spot conditions at Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo 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 Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo 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 Faja da Caldeira de Santo Cristo.