Conditions at Penarronda in January
January: Deep-Winter Groundswell Machine
January is the heart of winter in northern Spain, and Penarronda feels it. The average swell height sits at 5-6ft (1.7m) with a powerful 12.5s period, and the swell rose is dominated by the western and northern quadrants: NW delivers 37 percent, NNW 17 percent, WNW 14 percent, and NNE adds another 7 percent. That is a serious amount of exploitable, long-period groundswell for a beach facing north. Most days fall in the 3-5ft and 5-7ft (1-1.5m and 1.5-2m) categories, with a notable 8-9 percent pushing into the 7-8ft (2-2.5m) range - surf that is not just rideable but powerful, heavy and firing when it lines up.
The wind pattern is the cherry on top. The wind is ideal 47 percent of the time, with SSW, SW and S offshore flow combining for roughly 46 percent of all observations. Meanwhile, onshore NW/NNW/N winds stay a small minority, so the average winter day offers a clean, period-driven NW swell with offshore texture. Air temperatures average around 8.5°C with 3.21 mm/day of rain, and the water sits at 13.5°C, so bring the thickest wetsuit in the bag. January is dependable, powerful and classic Penarronda.
Average Spot conditions at Penarronda in January
Swell history for January
Wind history for January
Swell quality
Analyze the groundswell consistency at Penarronda 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 Penarronda for your next trip in January.
Ground swell
Ground swell by size
Wind conditions
Evaluate the wind and swell alignment at Penarronda 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 Penarronda.