Conditions at Salgueiros in January
January: Depth of Winter, Peak of Power
January delivers the punchiest, most consistent surf of the year. The average swell holds around 6ft (1.8m) and the dominant period sits at 12.7s, meaning a large chunk of the month sees true long-period groundswell from the North Atlantic. The swell direction is almost perfectly aligned for Salgueiros: WNW accounts for 47% of the wave energy, with W another 16% and NW 16%. That adds up to a west-facing lineup that is constantly lit.
The missing ingredient is clean local wind. With favorable offshore wind occurring 48% of the time, January beats every other month for surfable windows. Much of this comes from the stronger land-breeze and mountain-drainage flow that develops behind eastward-moving fronts, especially under high pressure over Iberia. When the combo of WNW swell and light offshore flow lines up, expect powerful, hollow peaks. Water temp sits at a chilly 13.6°C and air temps average 10.4°C, so a 4/3mm to 5/4mm fullsuit is essential. January is prime time at Salgueiros.
Average Spot conditions at Salgueiros in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Salgueiros 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 Salgueiros for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Salgueiros 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 Salgueiros.