MesoNet API for WindNinja

Mesonet API Documentation

http://synopticlabs.org/api/mesonet/

In WindNinja

Currently WindNinja uses the following variables from a station, wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, solar radiation, cloud layer codes.

Station Fetcher only fetches information from the RAWS and NWS/FAA networks currently. For information on which networks are available via the Mesonet API see mesonames.csv (located in the station-fetch branch under data).

station-fetch also interprets NWS/FAA cloud codes as cloud cover through the following table

NOAA	Mesonet	okta	CloudCover
FEW	6	2/8	25
SCT	2	4/8	50
BKN	3	6/8	75
OVC	4	8/8	100
CLR	1	0/8	0

For information on how this conversion was done and how it is used in station-fetch, see this comment

Using StationFetch

StationFetch works by building a url to access the Mesonet API. The data is then downloaded and saved as a csv file. There are different ways of accessing and downloading data from the API. All of these can be specified instationFetch.cfg.

New DEM Fetch

Station Fetch currently only works by reading in the bounds from the DEM file provided for a simulation, below information is not outdated, but not currently active.

For All Fetching Types

All fetching types require a time period. If you want the latest data and a given number of hours back. Set “latest” to “true” and specify the number of hours for the field “forecast_duration”. If you want a specific start and end time, set “latest” to “false” and use the “time” fields. “time_1” is the start time and “time_2” is the stop time.

Single Station

If you know a station and its ID, simply set “fetch_type” to “single”. and specify the station ID under “fetch_station_name”

this will save the data to a file named “single.csv”

Multiple Stations

For multiple stations set “fetch_type” to “multi” and specify the station IDs as a list under “fetch_station_name”. For example: “kmso,katl,tr266”.

this will save the data to a file named “multi.csv”

Point and Radius

1. Set “fetch_type” to “point”.
2. Specify a station ID as the initial point under “fetch_station_name”.
3. Specify a radius under “radius”
4. Limit the number of stations fetched in the radius by setting “station_limit” to a value. Too many stations will generate an error by the Mesonet API.

this will save the data to a file named “point.csv”

Latitude,Longitude Point and Radius

1. Set “fetch_type” to “latlon”.
2. Specify an initial latitude under “point_latitude”
3. Specify an initial longitude under “point_longitude”
4. Specify a radius under “radius”
5. Limit the number of stations fetched in the radius by setting “station_limit” to a value. Too many stations will generate an error by the Mesonet API.

this will saved the data to a file named “latlon.csv”

Bounding Box

1. Set “fetch_type” to “box”.
2. Specify the lower left latitude and longitude in the fields “box_lower_left_latitude” and “box_lower_left_longitude”.
3. Specify the upper right latitude longitude in the fields starting with “box_upper_right_” Note: Bounding Boxes cannot limit the number of stations it fetches, therefore specifying a very large box may generate an error by the Mesonet API.

this will save the data to a file named “box.csv”

MesoWest API limits/restrictions

There is currently a hard-coded limit of 100,000 station-hours (number-of-hours × number-of-stations).