NOAA NEXRAD Weather Radar API Reference

Powered by RainHUD™ WeatherBrain

Processed radar and storm context, nearest-station lookup, forecast timelines, and Web Mercator radar tiles for supported U.S. integrations.

Endpoint reference

Versioned weather data for production integrations.

Review authentication, request parameters, and response behavior for every public WeatherBrain API endpoint.

GET /api/v1/status

Check API availability

Returns only the API's public availability and version. This endpoint does not require an API key or consume customer quota.

Authentication: No API key required

Parameters

No request parameters.

Responses

  • 200 Successful Response
GET /api/v1/usage

Track API usage

Returns the authenticated credential's current UTC-day request totals, request-type breakdown, remaining daily allowance, percentage used, and reset time. This monitoring request does not consume customer quota.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

No request parameters.

Responses

  • 200 Successful Response
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/stations/nearest

Find the nearest supported radar station

Selects the nearest supported WSR-88D site for a latitude/longitude. Use this lightweight endpoint to preview geographic fit before requesting radar imagery. Requires the `weather:read` scope.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

  • lat number · required

    Latitude in decimal degrees.

  • lon number · required

    Longitude in decimal degrees.

Responses

  • 200 Nearest supported radar site
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/radar/tile-manifest

Build a coherent radar tile timeline

Returns recent/current frame metadata, Web Mercator tile bounds, and metered `/api/v1` tile URL templates. Fetch only the tiles intersecting your viewport. A `409` from a tile means its composite identity rolled over; refresh this manifest before continuing. Requires `tiles:read`.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

  • lat number · required

    Viewport center latitude.

  • lon number · required

    Viewport center longitude.

  • radiusMeters integer · optional

    Radius around the origin represented by the requested tile range.

  • frames integer · optional

    Number of recent observed radar scans to include.

  • forecastMinutes integer · optional

    Requested future timeline horizon. Use 0 for observations only.

  • z integer · optional

    Web Mercator zoom level used in returned tile templates.

Responses

  • 200 Coherent tile timeline and URL templates
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/forecast-frames

Get a source-attributed forecast timeline

Returns NOAA HRRR near-surface reflectivity frames without performing a NEXRAD volume decode. Use it when your product supplies current radar through another layer. If current radar already shows precipitation, set `requireReflectivity=false` so a dry model timeline can represent rain ending. Requires `weather:read`.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

  • lat number · required

    Timeline origin latitude.

  • lon number · required

    Timeline origin longitude.

  • radiusMeters integer · optional

    Half-width of each forecast raster in meters.

  • forecastMinutes integer · optional

    Forecast horizon in minutes, up to the available HRRR horizon.

  • stepMinutes integer · optional

    Timeline interval; must be a multiple of 30 minutes.

  • requireReflectivity boolean · optional

    When true, omit a timeline that contains no visible reflectivity.

Responses

  • 200 Source-attributed model forecast frames
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/weather-frame

Get processed radar and spatial storm context

Returns the main product contract: current radar metadata, station and source timing, spatial storm cells, motion when supported, and an observed/forecast timeline. Start with `includeImages=false` when using the tile flow. `stage=radar` provides a faster initial current frame; `stage=full` adds the complete spatial/timeline context. Operational Weather Brain training diagnostics are intentionally excluded. Requires `weather:read`.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

  • lat number · required

    Frame origin latitude.

  • lon number · required

    Frame origin longitude.

  • radiusMeters integer · optional

    Half-width of the radar raster and spatial context in meters.

  • frames integer · optional

    Observed radar scans used for the current/past timeline.

  • forecastMinutes integer · optional

    Future timeline horizon in minutes. Use 0 to skip forecast frames.

  • includeImages boolean · optional

    Embed base64 raster images. Keep false when imagery comes from tiles.

  • stage string · optional

    Use radar for a quick initial response or full for complete context.

Responses

  • 200 Processed weather frame
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/community-reports

Read verified anonymous community reports

Returns independently verified nearby community observations. Reporter names, account identifiers, partner attribution, media, and trust-profile fields are omitted. Included with active API access at no additional charge. Requires `community:read` or an existing `weather:read` credential; standard limits apply.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

  • lat number · required

    Search-origin latitude.

  • lon number · required

    Search-origin longitude.

  • radiusMeters integer · optional

    Search radius around the requested origin in meters.

  • maxAgeMinutes integer · optional

    Maximum report age in minutes.

  • limit integer · optional

    Maximum reports to return.

Responses

  • 200 Verified anonymous reports near the requested location
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
POST /api/v1/community-reports

Submit a partner community report — barometer optional

Accepts the v2 or v3 JSON body used for RainHUD community reports. Partner submissions must include `location.altitudeMetersMSL`. **Optional:** `barometer`. Omit it when no pressure snapshot is available; RainHUD still records the community report and creates no barometric observation. `reportId` must be a UUID and makes a submission idempotent. RainHUD records the authenticated partner only for internal audit; that identity is never included in the community feed. Requires `community:write`.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

No request parameters.

Responses

  • 200 Submission acknowledgement; repeats return recorded false
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/community-reports/capabilities

List supported community-report conditions

Returns the current allowed values for `kind` and the v2/v3 body fields accepted by `POST /community-reports`. Call this before submitting reports so a partner never has to hard-code the condition vocabulary. Requires `community:write`.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

No request parameters.

Responses

  • 200 Writable community-report conditions and contract fields
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable
GET /api/v1/radar/tile/{station_id}/{scan_token}/{z}/{x}/{y}.png

Fetch a metered radar tile

Fetches one tile from a URL template returned by `/radar/tile-manifest`. The opaque scan token and composite identity must be used unchanged. Successful tiles are privately cacheable by the customer client; a shared intermediary must re-authenticate and consume quota. Requires `tiles:read`.

Authentication: RainHUD API key in the X-RainHUD-API-Key header

Parameters

  • station_id string · required

  • scan_token string · required

  • z integer · required

  • x integer · required

  • y integer · required

  • forecastMinutes integer · optional

    Forecast offset from the manifest frame, in minutes.

  • compositeTime value · optional

    Opaque composite token from the manifest; do not construct it.

  • compositeCurrent boolean · optional

    Whether the manifest frame uses the current composite identity.

  • imageFormat string · optional

    Returned image encoding. WebP is smaller when supported.

Responses

  • 200 Radar tile image
  • 400 Malformed or unsupported request
  • 401 Missing or invalid API key
  • 403 Credential lacks access to this operation
  • 404 Requested weather data is unavailable
  • 409 Manifest identity expired
  • 422 Query validation failed
  • 429 API rate or daily quota exceeded
  • 500 Unexpected server error
  • 503 API metering is temporarily unavailable