Newgale • Statistics for February

February: Deep Winter Groundswell

February keeps the North Atlantic engine running hot. The average swell height is 5ft (1.5m), the average period is 9.2s, and the optimal westerly swell directions account for over 60 percent of the wave spectrum. WSW dominates with 27.8 percent, SW follows with 18.8 percent, and stronger classes between 1.5m and 2.5m (5-8ft) are well represented. This month often produces some of the longest period and most powerful waves of the year as intense low pressure systems track east across the Atlantic. However, clean conditions remain rare, with ideal offshore wind only 9 percent of the time. The wind rose shows a healthy 16 percent of observations from the NNE through E offshore quadrant, but onshore SW-WSW flow still accounts for around 36 percent. When the wind does drop easterly after a passing cold front, Newgale can offer thick, glassy winter walls. Water temperature drops to 8.4°C, the coldest of the year, and with precipitation at 3.35 mm/day, a good hooded 5/4mm wetsuit is essential.