Bob Research Tools

weather.alerts

Read-only

Returns active National Weather Service alerts (warnings, watches, advisories) for one US latitude and longitude as {source, location, count, alerts}, each with event, severity, urgency, area, times, description and instructions, usually in 1 to 2 seconds. An empty list means no active alert at that point. US government data, public domain; US points only. Read-only. Paid per call with x402; outside the US or if the service is unavailable the call fails and is not charged.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "lat": "<lat>",
      "lon": "<lon>"
    },
    "name": "weather.alerts"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`lat`	Yes	Latitude of a US point in decimal degrees, for example 32.78.
`lon`	Yes	Longitude of a US point in decimal degrees, for example -96.80.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`count`	Yes	Number of active alerts.
`notes`	No	Source and caveats.
`alerts`	Yes	Active alerts.
`source`	Yes
`location`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

AddedNov 2, 2026

TDQS

A4.4/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly/openWorld/non-destructive, yet the description still adds real behavioral context beyond them: ~1-2s latency, the meaning of an empty result, US-only geographic restriction, and the x402 paid-per-call model with no charge on failure. That is exactly the extra context the annotations cannot express.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Front-loaded with the output shape and scope, then cost and failure semantics. Dense but nearly every clause earns its place; the bare 'Read-only.' sentence slightly duplicates the readOnlyHint annotation.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, yet the description still summarizes the return envelope and per-alert fields, plus the empty-result case. Combined with the geographic and billing caveats, an agent has everything needed to call it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100% and both parameters carry ranges and example values, so the schema does the heavy lifting. The description only restates 'one US latitude and longitude' and adds no format or constraint detail beyond the schema — baseline 3.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Names a specific verb+resource (returns active NWS alerts) and pins the scope to a single US lat/lon point. The resource (alerts: warnings/watches/advisories) is plainly distinct from the sibling weather.forecast, even though that sibling is not named explicitly.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Clear about context: US points only, one point per call, empty list means nothing active, failure outside the US. It does not explicitly route to weather.forecast for forecast data or to other siblings, so the when-to-use-this-vs-alternatives guidance is implied rather than stated.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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