AviationWeather API

Free to Use Varies (check documentation)

Overview

AviationWeather.gov is a free NOAA service that provides official aviation weather data including METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, and SIGMETs used by pilots and flight planners. No API key or registration is required; you simply pass station codes or geographic parameters to retrieve real weather reports. It is a great starting point for aviation apps, flight simulators, or anyone learning about weather data formats.

💡

Beginner Tip

METARs and TAFs use standard aviation codes that look cryptic at first; use the format=json parameter to get parsed output instead of raw text. Station IDs follow ICAO 4-letter codes like KJFK for JFK Airport or EGLL for London Heathrow.

Available Data

temperature
weather conditions
humidity
wind speed
forecast data

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "location": "Tokyo",
  "temperature": {
    "current": 22,
    "feels_like": 24,
    "min": 18,
    "max": 26
  },
  "condition": "Partly Cloudy",
  "humidity": 65,
  "wind": {
    "speed": 12,
    "direction": "NE"
  },
  "forecast": [
    {
      "date": "2025-01-16",
      "high": 25,
      "low": 17,
      "condition": "Sunny"
    }
  ]
}

Field Reference

icaoId The 4-letter ICAO identifier for the airport or weather station.
rawOb The raw METAR observation string as issued by the station.
temp Temperature in degrees Celsius at the observation time.
wspd Wind speed in knots at the reporting station.
visib Visibility in statute miles at the station, may include + for greater than values.
wxString Present weather string using standard aviation abbreviations, e.g., -RA for light rain.

Implementation Example

const url = "https://www.aviationweather.gov/dataserver";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Empty response or no data array The station ID is incorrect or no recent METAR is available for that station.
Verify the 4-letter ICAO code for the airport and check that the station reports METARs (not all small airfields do).
400 Bad Request A required parameter like ids is missing or formatted incorrectly.
Always include the ids parameter with a valid ICAO station code; refer to the API documentation for required parameters per data type.
Outdated data returned METARs are issued hourly and the most recent report may be up to an hour old.
Check the observation_time field in the response and display it to users so they know the data recency.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 20/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 15/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 36ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Weather
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-07

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