us-drought-monitor-mcp-server

Get weekly drought observations

drought_get_timeseries

Read-only

Get weekly drought metrics and experimental DSCI for 1–100 explicit areas sharing one geography type and HUC level. Resolve identifiers with drought_list_reference. Dates select inclusive Tuesday map weeks. Missing values remain null; summaries include every tied peak. Large results are staged when analytics is enabled; use the returned dataframe tools to read every row and retained metadata page. Without analytics, complete results remain inline within acquisition limits.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`areas`	Yes	Explicit homogeneous geographies.
`metric`	No	Measure; population supports US, state and county only and carries estimation assumptions in provenance.populationInterpretation.	area_percent
`endDate`	Yes	Last requested calendar date, YYYY-MM-DD.
`canvas_id`	No	Canvas token from a previous drought producer to reuse when staging.
`startDate`	Yes	First requested calendar date, YYYY-MM-DD.
`statisticsType`	No	Overlapping cumulative or exclusive categorical buckets.	cumulative

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`rows`	No	Complete inline rows or exact staged preview.
`unit`	No	Bucket unit.
`areas`	No	Resolved deduplicated areas.
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`metric`	No	Selected metric.
`notice`	No	Empty or partial-data guidance.
`staging`	No	Complete analytical table when staged.
`summary`	No	Full-data area summaries.
`guidance`	No	Coverage guidance for known legacy Connecticut counties.
`rowCount`	No	Complete observation count.
`provenance`	No	Actual sources and attribution.
`missingAreas`	No	Areas without metric observations.
`latestMapDate`	No	Latest map actually published.
`effectiveRange`	No	Published coverage intersection.
`metadata_pages`	No	Present only when complete metadata requires automatic continuation.
`requestedRange`	No	Original requested dates.
`statisticsType`	No	Selected representation.
`missingObservations`	No	Missing metric and DSCI dates.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed14 schema fields changedOct 26, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / areas / items / oneOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "National coverage selector.",
-    "properties": {
-      "aoi": {
-        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
-        "maxLength": 200,
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "areaType": {
-        "const": "us",
-        "description": "National geography.",
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "areaType",
-      "aoi"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "Exact state selector.",
-    "properties": {
-      "aoi": {
-        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
-        "maxLength": 200,
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "areaType": {
-        "const": "state",
-        "description": "State geography.",
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "areaType",
-      "aoi"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "Exact county selector.",
-    "properties": {
-      "aoi": {
-        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
-        "maxLength": 200,
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "areaType": {
-        "const": "county",
-        "description": "County geography.",
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "areaType",
-      "aoi"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "Exact tribal selector.",
-    "properties": {
-      "aoi": {
-        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
-        "maxLength": 200,
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "areaType": {
-        "const": "tribal",
-        "description": "Tribal geography.",
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "areaType",
-      "aoi"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "Exact climate division selector.",
-    "properties": {
-      "aoi": {
-        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
-        "maxLength": 200,
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "areaType": {
-        "const": "climate_division",
-        "description": "Climate division geography.",
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "areaType",
-      "aoi"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "description": "Exact watershed selector with matching HUC width.",
-    "properties": {
-      "aoi": {
-        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
-        "maxLength": 200,
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "areaType": {
-        "const": "huc",
-        "description": "Watershed geography.",
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "hucLevel": {
-        "anyOf": [
-          {
-            "const": 2,
-            "type": "number"
-          },
-          {
-            "const": 4,
-            "type": "number"
-          },
-          {
-            "const": 6,
-            "type": "number"
-          },
-          {
-            "const": 8,
-            "type": "number"
-          }
-        ],
-        "description": "Exact HUC identifier width."
-      }
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "areaType",
-      "aoi",
-      "hucLevel"
-    ],
-    "type": "object"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "National coverage selector.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "us",
+        "description": "National geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Exact state selector.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "state",
+        "description": "State geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Exact county selector.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "county",
+        "description": "County geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Exact tribal selector.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "tribal",
+        "description": "Tribal geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Exact climate division selector.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "climate_division",
+        "description": "Climate division geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Bundled RFC code or exact name.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "river_forecast_center",
+        "description": "River Forecast Center geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "additionalProperties": false,
+    "description": "Exact watershed selector with matching HUC width.",
+    "properties": {
+      "aoi": {
+        "description": "Exact geography identifier or state name; county names require a state and resolve exact names before unique suffix-free aliases.",
+        "maxLength": 200,
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "areaType": {
+        "const": "huc",
+        "description": "Watershed geography.",
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "hucLevel": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "const": 2,
+            "type": "number"
+          },
+          {
+            "const": 4,
+            "type": "number"
+          },
+          {
+            "const": 6,
+            "type": "number"
+          },
+          {
+            "const": 8,
+            "type": "number"
+          }
+        ],
+        "description": "Exact HUC identifier width."
+      }
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "areaType",
+      "aoi",
+      "hucLevel"
+    ],
+    "type": "object"
+  }
+]

changedInput schema / properties / metric / description

Previous value: -"Measure; population supports US, state and county only."New value: +"Measure; population supports US, state and county only and carries estimation assumptions in provenance.populationInterpretation."

changedOutput schema / properties / areas / items / properties / areaType / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "us",
-  "state",
-  "county",
-  "huc",
-  "tribal",
-  "climate_division"
-]New value: +[
+  "us",
+  "state",
+  "county",
+  "huc",
+  "tribal",
+  "climate_division",
+  "river_forecast_center"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / error / properties / data / properties / reason / description

Previous value: -"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `upstream_request_rejected`: USDM rejects a selector or date request. `staging_busy`: The bounded acquisition admission slots are occupied. `ambiguous_area`: Several exact names match. `unknown_area`: A geography name cannot resolve. `invalid_area`: Identifier or homogeneous area combination is invalid. `unsupported_metric`: Population is requested for an unsupported geography. `invalid_date_range`: Dates are impossible or reversed. `publication_unavailable`: No latest publication is available. `dataset_too_large`: The complete request exceeds bounded acquisition or metadata budgets. `upstream_shape_invalid`: Upstream data is malformed, duplicate or outside scope. `canvas_unavailable`: A complete large result requires an unavailable analytical provider. `staging_capacity_exhausted`: Retained analytical capacity is exhausted. `canvas_not_found`: The supplied canvas is absent or expired. `canvas_capacity_exhausted`: The analytical provider cannot mint another canvas. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."New value: +"Machine-readable failure mode. Declared by this tool: `upstream_request_rejected`: USDM rejects a selector or date request. `staging_busy`: The bounded acquisition admission slots are occupied. `ambiguous_area`: Several exact names match. `unknown_area`: A geography name cannot resolve. `invalid_area`: Identifier or homogeneous area combination is invalid. `unsupported_metric`: Population is requested for an unsupported geography. `invalid_date_range`: Dates are impossible or reversed. `publication_unavailable`: No latest publication is available. `dataset_too_large`: The complete request exceeds acquisition or retained-data quotas. `upstream_shape_invalid`: Upstream data is malformed, duplicate or outside scope. `canvas_unavailable`: An explicit canvas token requires an unavailable analytical provider. `staging_capacity_exhausted`: Retained analytical capacity is exhausted. `canvas_not_found`: The supplied canvas is absent or expired. `canvas_capacity_exhausted`: The analytical provider cannot mint another canvas. Other values are possible when a failure originates below the handler."

changedOutput schema / properties / metadata_pages / additionalProperties / properties / next_offset / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "maximum": 9007199254740991,
-    "minimum": -9007199254740991,
-    "type": "integer"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+    "minimum": 0,
+    "type": "integer"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / metadata_pages / additionalProperties / properties / returned / description
```
Previous value: -"Items in this inline first page."New value: +"Items in this inline first prefix."
```
changedOutput schema / properties / metadata_pages / additionalProperties / properties / returned / minimum
```
Previous value: --9007199254740991New value: +0
```
changedOutput schema / properties / metadata_pages / additionalProperties / properties / total / minimum
```
Previous value: --9007199254740991New value: +0
```

addedOutput schema / properties / metadata_pages / propertyNames / enum

Added value: +[
+  "areas",
+  "summary",
+  "missingAreas",
+  "missingObservations"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / missingAreas / items / properties / areaType / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "us",
-  "state",
-  "county",
-  "huc",
-  "tribal",
-  "climate_division"
-]New value: +[
+  "us",
+  "state",
+  "county",
+  "huc",
+  "tribal",
+  "climate_division",
+  "river_forecast_center"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / missingObservations / items / properties / area / properties / areaType / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "us",
-  "state",
-  "county",
-  "huc",
-  "tribal",
-  "climate_division"
-]New value: +[
+  "us",
+  "state",
+  "county",
+  "huc",
+  "tribal",
+  "climate_division",
+  "river_forecast_center"
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / provenance / properties / populationInterpretation

Added value: +{
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "description": "Present when the workflow includes a supported population metric.",
+  "properties": {
+    "caveat": {
+      "description": "Population assumptions and precision limitations.",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "methodologyUrl": {
+      "description": "Official population estimation methodology.",
+      "type": "string"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "methodologyUrl",
+    "caveat"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / rows / items / properties / areaType / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "us",
-  "state",
-  "county",
-  "huc",
-  "tribal",
-  "climate_division"
-]New value: +[
+  "us",
+  "state",
+  "county",
+  "huc",
+  "tribal",
+  "climate_division",
+  "river_forecast_center"
+]

changedOutput schema / properties / summary / items / properties / area / properties / areaType / enum

Previous value: -[
-  "us",
-  "state",
-  "county",
-  "huc",
-  "tribal",
-  "climate_division"
-]New value: +[
+  "us",
+  "state",
+  "county",
+  "huc",
+  "tribal",
+  "climate_division",
+  "river_forecast_center"
+]

First observedOct 24, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations only declare readOnlyHint and openWorldHint, so the description carries most of the behavioral load and does add real context: inclusive Tuesday map-week alignment, missing values retained as null, staging under analytics versus inline results within acquisition limits. What is missing is cost/latency expectation for large area lists and what 'acquisition limits' actually truncates at.

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?

Five sentences, front-loaded with purpose and identifier resolution, then behavioral caveats; nearly every clause carries information. It is dense and a couple of clauses ('summaries include every tied peak') are oblique given there is no summary parameter, which costs a point.

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?

With an output schema present, the description need not document return values, and it still explains the staged-versus-inline delivery model that affects how the agent must follow up. The one gap is that the reference to 'summaries' and 'tied peaks' implies output structure the agent cannot reconcile with the visible parameter set.

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 description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3 and the schema already documents every parameter including the metric enum's population caveat. The description contributes one genuine addition beyond the schema — the requirement that all areas share one geography type and HUC level, a cross-parameter constraint the schema does not enforce — but adds nothing on metric or statisticsType semantics.

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?

States a specific verb (get), resource (weekly drought metrics and experimental DSCI), and hard scope: 1–100 explicit areas sharing one geography type and HUC level. That homogeneity constraint alone separates it from siblings like drought_compare_areas and drought_get_current_severity, which operate on different axes.

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?

Routes the agent explicitly for two sub-decisions: resolve identifiers with drought_list_reference, and read staged output with the returned dataframe tools. It does not explicitly say when to prefer drought_compare_areas or drought_get_weeks_in_drought instead, so the exclusion side is inferential 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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