weather-nws

name	weather_nws
description	Get current weather conditions and detailed forecasts for any US location using the National Weather Service API
version	1.0.0
user-invocable	true
slash-command	weather
metadata	{"openclaw":{"requires":{"bins":["node"]},"emoji":"🌤️","category":"information","tags":["weather","forecast","nws","temperature","conditions"],"network":true},"parameters":{"type":"object","properties":{"location":{"type":"string","description":"City name, city + state, or full address"},"limit":{"type":"string","description":"Number of forecast periods (default: 5, 'full' or 'week' for all ~14 periods)"}},"required":["location"]},"examples":[{"prompt":"What's the weather in Malvern, PA?","call":"weather_nws","args":{"location":"Malvern, PA"}},{"prompt":"Give me the full week forecast for Philadelphia","call":"weather_nws","args":{"location":"Philadelphia, PA","limit":"week"}},{"prompt":"What's the temperature right now?","call":"weather_nws","args":{"location":"Malvern, PA","limit":"1"}}]}

Weather (National Weather Service) Skill

Get current weather conditions and detailed forecasts for any US location using the official National Weather Service (NWS) API.

When to use this skill

• User asks about weather, temperature, or forecast
• User wants to know current conditions
• User asks "What's the weather in X?"
• User wants multi-day forecast
• User asks about specific weather details (wind, humidity, etc.)
• User mentions planning around weather
• User asks about weather "today", "tonight", "tomorrow", or for the week

How to call it

Execution: This skill is executed using node via the exec command.

Command: node ~/.openclaw/skills/weather_nws/index.js "<location>" [limit]

Parameters:

• location (required): City name, city + state, or full address
• limit (optional): Number of forecast periods to show
  • Default: 5 periods
  • Number: Show that many periods
  • full or week: Show all available periods (~14)

Examples

Example 1: Current weather

User: "What's the weather in Malvern, PA?" Command: node ~/.openclaw/skills/weather_nws/index.js "Malvern, PA" Output:

Looking up Malvern, PA...
Found: Malvern, Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States (40.0365, -75.5138)

CURRENT CONDITIONS (2026-02-13T15:00:00-05:00):
42°F - Partly Cloudy
Wind: 8 mph NW
Humidity: 45%

FORECAST:
--------------------------------------------------
THIS AFTERNOON: 43°F - Partly Sunny
  Partly sunny with a high near 43...

TONIGHT: 28°F - Mostly Clear
  Mostly clear with a low around 28...

Example 2: Extended forecast

User: "Give me the full week forecast for Philadelphia" Command: node ~/.openclaw/skills/weather_nws/index.js "Philadelphia" full Response: Shows all available forecast periods

Example 3: Specific number of periods

User: "What's the weather tomorrow in Malvern?" Command: node ~/.openclaw/skills/weather_nws/index.js "Malvern, PA" 3 Response: Shows next 3 periods (Tonight, Tomorrow Day, Tomorrow Night)

Example 4: Simple check

User: "Will it rain today?" Command: node ~/.openclaw/skills/weather_nws/index.js "Malvern, PA" 2 Response: Parse output for precipitation info in today's periods

Output Format

The script provides:

1. Location confirmation - Geocoded address and coordinates
2. Current conditions (from hourly forecast):
   • Temperature
   • Short description (Partly Cloudy, Sunny, etc.)
   • Wind speed and direction
   • Humidity (when available)
3. Forecast periods - Each includes:
   • Period name (Today, Tonight, Friday, etc.)
   • Temperature
   • Short forecast
   • Detailed forecast description

Location Format

Works with:

• City only: "Philadelphia"
• City, State: "Malvern, PA" (recommended for accuracy)
• Full address: "123 Main St, Malvern, PA"
• Zip code: "19355"
• Landmarks: "Liberty Bell, Philadelphia"

Tip: Include state abbreviation for best results

Important Notes

• US Only: National Weather Service only covers United States territories
• Zero Dependencies: Uses only Node.js built-in https module
• Geocoding: Uses OpenStreetMap Nominatim for location lookup
• Official Data: Direct from NWS API (weather.gov)
• No API Key Required: Public APIs, no authentication needed
• Real-Time Data: NWS updates hourly and as conditions change

Forecast Periods

NWS provides forecasts in named periods:

• This Afternoon / Today
• Tonight
• Tomorrow / Day name (Friday, Saturday, etc.)
• Tomorrow Night / Night name (Friday Night, etc.)

Default (5 periods) typically covers:

• Rest of today + tonight
• Next full day + night
• Following morning

Error Handling

• City not found: "City not found" - check spelling or add state
• Outside US: "No forecast grid found. This API only works for US locations."
• Network errors: Shows error message with details
• Invalid coordinates: NWS API returns error

Technical Details

• Geocoding API: https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/search
• NWS Points API: https://api.weather.gov/points/{lat},{lon}
• Hourly Forecast: Used for current conditions
• Daily Forecast: Used for period-based forecasts
• User-Agent: OpenClaw/1.0 ([e-mail]) (required by NWS)
• Response Format: Human-readable text (easy to parse)

Use Cases

1. Quick check: Current temp and today's forecast
2. Planning: Week-long forecast for event planning
3. Travel: Weather at destination
4. Comparisons: Weather in multiple cities
5. Detailed info: Wind, humidity, detailed conditions