Manasquan Inlet • Statistics for February

February: Nor'easter Alley and the WNW Gust Factory

February is Manasquan at its rawest. Average surf remains solid at 4ft (1.3m), and the average period ticks up to 7.2s, with more east and east-southeast energy in the mix. S and SSE swells are still the most frequent, but E, ESE and ENE combined occupy a healthy slice of the rose, and the bigger 1.5-2.5m class is often tied to offshore lows and nor'easters. The wind regime continues to favour clean conditions: WNW, NW, W and NNW account for a huge portion of the monthly wind distribution, giving 31 percent ideal surf wind. When the pressure gradient tightens between an inland high and a departing coastal low, WNW/NW winds howl offshore and Manasquan turns into a punchy, lined-up bank. In a negative NAO pattern, this is the prime month for cold-latitude storms to lay down longer-period E and ESE swell. Air temperatures bottom out around 2.7°C and water drops to 4.3°C, so it is a thick rubber, hood, boots and gloves kind of month.