noaa-climate-mcp-server

Find NOAA Climate Stations

noaa_climate_find_stations

Read-only

Search for weather observation stations by location, bounding box, dataset, and data type. Returns station IDs, names, coordinates, elevation, and data coverage dates. Filter by locationId (e.g., "FIPS:37" for all NC stations), extent (lat/lon bounding box), datasetId, datatypeId, and date range. Station IDs returned here are used as stationId in noaa_climate_fetch_data. A station must have data for the dataset and date range you want — filter by datasetId and startDate/endDate to ensure compatibility. Common station ID formats: GHCND:USW00024233, COOP:010008.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Maximum number of results to return (1–1000). Defaults to 25.
`extent`	No	Bounding box filter as "minLat,minLon,maxLat,maxLon" (e.g., "47.5,-122.4,47.7,-122.1" for central Seattle). Optional.
`offset`	No	Zero-based index of the first result to return for pagination. Defaults to 0.
`endDate`	No	Filter to stations with data on or before this ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD). Optional.
`datasetId`	No	Filter to stations that have data in this dataset (e.g., "GHCND" for daily observations). Optional.
`sortField`	No	Sort results by this field. Optional.
`sortOrder`	No	Sort direction. Optional; defaults to asc.
`startDate`	No	Filter to stations with data on or after this ISO date (YYYY-MM-DD). Optional.
`datatypeId`	No	Filter to stations that record these data types (e.g., ["TMAX", "TMIN", "PRCP"]). Optional.
`locationId`	No	Filter to stations within this location ID (e.g., "FIPS:37" for NC, "CITY:US530018" for Seattle). Obtain from noaa_climate_find_locations. Optional.
`datacategoryId`	No	Filter to stations with data in this category (e.g., "TEMP"). Optional.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Guidance when no stations matched — echoes applied filters and suggests how to broaden.
`results`	No	Matching stations.
`metadata`	No	Pagination metadata. Present when the API returns it.
`exhausted`	No	True when the requested offset is past the end of a non-empty result set — the page is empty but matches exist. Omitted otherwise.
`totalCount`	No	Total number of matching stations before the page limit.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed6 schema fields changedAug 25, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Added value: +false
```

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

addedOutput schema / anyOf

Added value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "results",
+      "totalCount"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / error

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "description": "Present when the call failed. Absent on success.",
+  "properties": {
+    "code": {
+      "description": "JSON-RPC error code for this failure.",
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    "data": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "reason": {
+          "description": "Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `service_unavailable`: NOAA CDO API is unreachable or returning errors. `rate_limited`: NOAA CDO throttled the request — the configured token went over its rate limit. `upstream_auth_failed`: NOAA CDO rejected the API token this server is configured with. `validation_error`: A filter parameter is not recognized by the NOAA CDO API (e.g., unknown locationId or datacategoryId). Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler.",
+          "examples": [
+            "service_unavailable",
+            "rate_limited",
+            "upstream_auth_failed",
+            "validation_error"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "recovery": {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "description": "Actionable next step for the caller.",
+          "properties": {
+            "hint": {
+              "type": "string"
+            }
+          },
+          "required": [
+            "hint"
+          ],
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        "retryable": {
+          "description": "Whether retrying may succeed.",
+          "type": "boolean"
+        }
+      },
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "message": {
+      "description": "Human-readable description of what went wrong.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "code",
+    "message"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

removedOutput schema / required

Removed value: -[
-  "results",
-  "totalCount"
-]

Changed2 schema fields changedAug 18, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / locationId / description

Previous value: -"Filter to stations within this location ID (e.g., \"FIPS:37\" for NC, \"CITY:US530031\" for Seattle). Obtain from noaa_climate_find_locations. Optional."New value: +"Filter to stations within this location ID (e.g., \"FIPS:37\" for NC, \"CITY:US530018\" for Seattle). Obtain from noaa_climate_find_locations. Optional."

changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / id / description

Previous value: -"Station ID (e.g., GHCND:USC00450974, COOP:010008)."New value: +"Station ID (e.g., GHCND:USW00024233, COOP:010008)."

Changed9 schema fields changedAug 18, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / datacategoryId / minLength
```
Added value: +1
```
addedInput schema / properties / datasetId / minLength
```
Added value: +1
```
addedInput schema / properties / datatypeId / items / minLength
```
Added value: +1
```
addedInput schema / properties / datatypeId / minItems
```
Added value: +1
```

addedInput schema / properties / endDate / pattern

Added value: +"^(?:\\d{4}(?:0[1-9]|1[0-2])(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|\\d{4}-(?:0?[1-9]|1[0-2])-(?:0?[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])(?:T(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?)?)$"

addedInput schema / properties / extent / minLength
```
Added value: +1
```
addedInput schema / properties / locationId / minLength
```
Added value: +1
```

addedInput schema / properties / startDate / pattern

Added value: +"^(?:\\d{4}(?:0[1-9]|1[0-2])(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|\\d{4}-(?:0?[1-9]|1[0-2])-(?:0?[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])(?:T(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?)?)$"

addedOutput schema / properties / exhausted

Added value: +{
+  "description": "True when the requested offset is past the end of a non-empty result set — the page is empty but matches exist. Omitted otherwise.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

First observedJun 22, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior3/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the agent knows this is a read-only search that may return changing results. The description adds that station IDs are used in noaa_climate_fetch_data and returns coverage date fields, but it doesn't disclose any additional behavioral nuances (e.g., pagination behavior, ordering defaults) beyond what the schema and annotations already imply. This is slightly above baseline given the annotations exist.

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?

The description is a single dense paragraph but is well-organized: purpose first, then filter list, then the compatibility advice, then common ID formats. No redundant filler; each sentence earns its place. Slightly long but justified by the tool's complexity.

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

Completeness4/5

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

For an 11-parameter search tool with an output schema, the description covers the key functional aspects: filtering by location/extent/dataset/datatype/date, the returned fields, and the station ID formats used downstream. It omits explicit guidance on pagination (offset/limit) and sorting, but the schema documents those with defaults, and the output schema exists so return types are known. Overall complete for an agent to call it correctly.

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

Parameters4/5

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

Schema coverage is 100%, so all 11 parameters are documented. The description adds real value by providing concrete examples for locationId ('FIPS:37'), extent ('47.5,-122.4,47.7,-122.1'), datasetId ('GHCND'), and datatypeId (['TMAX','TMIN','PRCP']). It also clarifies that date filters should be combined with datasetId to ensure data exists. This exceeds what the bare schema provides.

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?

The description states a specific verb ('Search for... stations') with a clear resource and lists both the filter dimensions (location, bounding box, dataset, data type) and the return fields (IDs, names, coordinates, elevation, coverage dates). It is immediately distinguishable from siblings like noaa_climate_find_locations (locations) and noaa_climate_get_station (single station detail).

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?

Provides clear context for when to use the tool: when you need to find stations by filters. It gives practical advice ('filter by datasetId and startDate/endDate to ensure compatibility') and explains the relationship to noaa_climate_fetch_data. However, it does not explicitly state when NOT to use it or name alternatives (e.g., noaa_climate_get_station for a specific station).

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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