noaa-tidesandcurrents-mcp

Get Wind Forecast (NWS)

nws_get_wind_forecast

Read-onlyIdempotent

Retrieve NWS hourly wind forecasts by latitude/longitude, including speed, gusts, direction, and wave height where available, for up to 7 days in US areas.

Instructions

Get the NWS hourly wind FORECAST (speed, gust, direction — plus wave height where the grid carries it) for a latitude/longitude.

Data comes from the NWS forecast grid (api.weather.gov gridpoints — numeric NDFD values, not display strings). Horizon is up to ~7 days (156 hours), starting at the current hour. US and territories only. Wave height appears for marine/nearshore gridpoints; swell/period fields are typically only populated for open-ocean points.

Units: english = knots and feet (default), metric = m/s and meters. Direction is degrees true, the direction the wind blows FROM.

This is FORECAST data. For observed (measured) wind at a NOAA station right now, use noaa_get_meteorological_data (product "wind"). For the official marine text forecast (Coastal Waters Forecast narrative with small-craft advisories), use nws_get_marine_forecast.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`hours`	No	Forecast hours to return, starting at the current hour (max 156 ≈ 7 days; the grid may end sooner).
`units`	No	Unit system. english: feet, °F, knots (wind AND currents), nautical miles. metric: meters, °C, m/s for wind but cm/s for currents, kilometers. Air pressure is millibars and salinity is PSU in BOTH systems.	english
`latitude`	Yes	Latitude in decimal degrees (-90 to 90).
`longitude`	Yes	Longitude in decimal degrees (-180 to 180).
`response_format`	No	Output format: "markdown" for a readable summary table, "json" for the complete structured payload.	markdown

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`_response`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Addedv1.0.1Oct 5, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already declare the safe read-only/idempotent profile, and the description goes well beyond them: data provenance (api.weather.gov gridpoints, numeric NDFD values not display strings), a hard 156-hour horizon, US-and-territories-only coverage, and the fact that wave height only appears on marine/nearshore grids while swell/period are open-ocean only. These are real constraints an agent could otherwise get wrong.

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

Conciseness5/5

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

Front-loads what the tool returns, then coverage/units caveats, then routing to alternatives. Four short paragraphs, each carrying distinct information (data source, horizon, units/direction convention, sibling disambiguation) with no filler.

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?

With an output schema present, the description need not explain return format. It covers everything else an agent needs: data source and value semantics, temporal and geographic limits, unit behavior, and the two relevant alternative tools.

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 schema already documents all five parameters, including the units enum and hour bounds. The description restates the units convention (knots/feet vs m/s/meters) and adds direction-is-degrees-true semantics, but that addition is small and largely duplicates the structured fields, so the baseline of 3 applies.

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 and resource (hourly NWS wind FORECAST: speed, gust, direction, optional wave height) and pins the input (lat/long). It explicitly distinguishes itself from the two closest siblings by naming them and their data types, so an agent can route without opening schemas.

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

Usage Guidelines5/5

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

Gives explicit when-to-use alternatives: observed wind at a NOAA station goes to noaa_get_meteorological_data (product "wind"), and the official marine narrative goes to nws_get_marine_forecast. The forecast-vs-observed distinction is exactly the ambiguity an agent faces here.

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