Weather Forecast Skill

This skill fetches 7-day weather forecasts from the Open-Meteo API and presents the data in both table and chart formats.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• User requests a weather forecast for any location worldwide
• User wants to see temperature trends or weather data
• User asks for a visual representation of weather conditions
• User specifies a city name or coordinates

Standard Workflow - IMPORTANT

When given a city name, ALWAYS follow this two-step process:

1. Use get_coordinates.py to geocode the location (DO NOT use built-in knowledge)

   uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "City, State"
   

2. Use those coordinates with get_forecast.py

   uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py <lat> <lon>
   

DO NOT: Hardcode coordinates from training data or external knowledge. Always use the get_coordinates.py script to ensure the skill is self-contained and reproducible.

Prerequisites

The script requires the requests library. Install if needed:

pip install requests --break-system-packages

Workflow

Option A: Using City Names (US Cities Only)

For the 1000 largest US cities, use the get_coordinates.py helper script:

Step 1: Get coordinates from city name

uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "City, State"

Accepts formats:

• "Philadelphia, PA" (city, state abbreviation)
• "Trenton, New Jersey" (city, full state name)
• "Denver" "CO" (separate arguments)

Step 2: Get forecast using the coordinates

# Combined workflow
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py $(uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "Philadelphia, PA")

Option B: Using Coordinates Directly

For international locations or US cities not in the database:

Step 1: Get Coordinates

• Search the web for "{city name} coordinates" to find the lat/lon
• Or ask the user to provide coordinates directly

Step 2: Run the Forecast Script

Execute the script with coordinates:

uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py <latitude> <longitude>

For JSON output (used for charting):

uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py <latitude> <longitude> --json

Step 3: Present Results

The script outputs forecast data in two formats:

Table Format (default): A formatted text table showing:

• Period names (Today, Tonight, Monday, etc.)
• Temperature (high for day, low for night)
• Wind speed and direction
• Short forecast description

JSON Format (--json flag): Structured data suitable for creating visualizations including:

• All forecast fields
• Temperature values for charting
• Day/night indicators

Step 4: Create Visualizations

After getting JSON data, create visual representations:

1. Temperature Chart: Line or bar chart showing temperature trends across the 7-day period
2. Condition Summary: Visual representation of weather conditions (clear, cloudy, rainy, etc.)

Use appropriate charting libraries or create React/HTML artifacts to display the data visually.

Example Usage

Using City Names (US Cities)

# Get coordinates for a US city
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "Philadelphia, PA"
# Output: 39.9525839 -75.1652215

# Get forecast using city name (combined)
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py $(uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "Denver, CO")

# Alternative format with full state name
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "Trenton" "New Jersey"

# Verbose output shows city confirmation
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_coordinates.py "Seattle, WA" --verbose
# Output: Seattle, WA: 47.6062095 -122.3320708

Using Coordinates Directly

# Example: Denver, CO (39.7392, -104.9903)
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py 39.7392 -104.9903

# Example: Get JSON for charting
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py 39.7392 -104.9903 --json

# Example: International location (Tokyo, Japan)
uv run python skills/weather-forecast/scripts/get_forecast.py 35.6762 139.6503

Important Notes

• Worldwide Coverage: Open-Meteo API covers any location globally
• No API Key Required: Open-Meteo is free and requires no authentication
• US City Database: The get_coordinates.py script includes the 1000 largest US cities (no network needed for lookups)
• City Lookup Limitations: For smaller US cities or international locations, use coordinates directly
• State Required: City names require state specification to avoid ambiguity (e.g., "Springfield, MA" vs "Springfield, IL")
• Flexible State Format: Accepts both state abbreviations (PA, NJ) and full names (Pennsylvania, New Jersey)
• Network Access: The get_forecast.py script requires internet access to query the Open-Meteo API
• Data Freshness: Forecasts are updated regularly throughout the day
• WMO Weather Codes: The script translates WMO weather codes to readable descriptions

Sample Output

Table format:

Period               Temp       Wind            Forecast
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today                68°F       10 mph SW       Mainly clear
Tonight              48°F       10 mph SW       Mainly clear
Monday               72°F       8 mph S         Clear sky
Monday Night         52°F       8 mph S         Clear sky

JSON format: Array of forecast objects with complete weather data for visualization.

References

See references/api_reference.md for detailed API documentation and WMO weather code descriptions.