Conditions at Pico da Mota in January
January: Deep-Winter Atlantic Muscles Up
January is the peak of the Portuguese winter surf season. Average swell height sits at 9ft (2.8m) with a long, powerful period of 13.1s, putting Pico da Mota squarely in firing mode whenever the wind cooperates. The wave rose is dominated by the preferred N-NW quadrant: WNW contributes 15.2%, NW 18.4% and NNW 8.0%, with the bulk of the energy in the 5-8ft (1.5-2.5m) range and a significant amount over 8ft (2.5m). This is serious Atlantic groundswell. The wind, however, is the great equalizer: ideal conditions occur only 30% of the time. Strong NNW and NNE winds dominate the wind rose, and those north components are onshore or cross-shore at this northwest-facing beach. When a low-pressure system pushes through and the wind swings into the S/SSW/SW/WSW quadrant, Pico da Mota's lines become clean and hollow. Water temperature is 14.4°C, air temps average 12.2°C, and precipitation runs 2.82 mm/day, so expect cold, wet and occasionally brilliant - this is big-wave season.
Average Spot conditions at Pico da Mota in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Pico da Mota 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 Pico da Mota for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Pico da Mota 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 Pico da Mota.