Conditions at Sagres in January
January: The Deep-Winter Groundswell Engine
January is Sagres at its most powerful. The average open-ocean swell pushes to 8ft (2.4m) with an average 13.1s period, and 28% of the time wind is ideal for surfing. The swell rose is dominated by a classic North Atlantic westerly-northwesterly train: NW 27.5%, WNW 16.9%, and NNW 9.4%, with W making up another 3.8%. Directly favorable SE/SSE/S/SSW swell is rare-roughly 1% combined-so surf here is mostly the refracted, wrapped-around version of Atlantic groundswell. When that NW energy arrives with enough size and period, it swings into the SSE-facing beaches with real power.
Wind is predominantly out of the NNW (19.0%), NNE (10.4%), and N (7.7%), with a meaningful ESE/E component in the 6% range. The 28% ideal wind figure means clean days are select rather than constant. Water temperature sits at 15.8°C, air at 13.8°C (6.2-18.8°C), and rainfall is 1.96mm/day, so bring the rubber and stay flexible.
Average Spot conditions at Sagres in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Sagres 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 Sagres for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Sagres 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 Sagres.