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NWS Guide

Browse the API

Every endpoint on api.weather.gov — what it returns, who wants it, and a worked example.

Categories

All endpoints69 Start Here3Forecasts5Alerts & Warnings8Observations & Stations7Radar8Aviation9Text Products9Zones & Geography4Offices & Outreach8NOAA Weather Radio3Icons, Imagery & Extras5

Built from the live OpenAPI spec (version 3.11.0) on 2026-09-09. New here? Start with how it thinks.

5 endpoints shown in Icons, Imagery & Extras

Icons, Imagery & Extras

Supporting pieces: weather icons, satellite thumbnails and the official NWS glossary.

GET https://api.weather.gov/glossary

The official NWS glossary — hundreds of terms defined by the agency itself. If you want to know exactly what NWS means by “severe thunderstorm” or “virga”, this is the authoritative answer.

Students, writers, and anyone decoding a forecast discussion.

Worked example

Worked example

https://api.weather.gov/glossary
Open on api.weather.gov

cURL

curl "https://api.weather.gov/glossary" \
  -H "User-Agent: (myweatherapp.example.com, [email protected])"
GET https://api.weather.gov/icons

The list of weather icon codes and what each one depicts — the legend you need to map forecast conditions to imagery.

Developers building an icon legend.

Worked example

Worked example

https://api.weather.gov/icons
Open on api.weather.gov

cURL

curl "https://api.weather.gov/icons" \
  -H "User-Agent: (myweatherapp.example.com, [email protected])"
GET https://api.weather.gov/icons/{set}/{timeOfDay}/{first}

The weather icons NWS uses in its own forecasts, generated on demand for a given condition and time of day. Being deprecated, but still widely used.

Developers who want their forecast display to match the official one.

GET https://api.weather.gov/icons/{set}/{timeOfDay}/{first}/{second}

An icon representing two conditions at once — for a period that starts rainy and ends snowy, say.

Developers rendering forecast periods.

GET https://api.weather.gov/thumbnails/satellite/{area}

Small satellite preview images for a region — thumbnails rather than full-resolution imagery, meant for quick display.

Anyone building a lightweight satellite view.

Show all 69 endpoints