The 8 best weather data sources for GIS

Weather data is crucial for spatial decision-making in fields like infrastructure planning and agriculture, necessitating reliable data sources for GIS mapping. The text discusses the importance of evaluating weather data quality through criteria such as spatial and temporal resolution, data format, coverage, and historical depth to ensure data sets meet the specific needs of GIS workflows. High spatial resolution is ideal for detailed local analysis, while temporal resolution is key for matching data update frequency to specific tasks. Various data formats, such as raster grids and netCDF, are better suited for different GIS applications, while coverage and historical depth are essential for large-scale analyses and long-term trend analysis. The text highlights several weather data sources, including government agencies like NOAA and NCEI, API platforms such as Open-Meteo and OpenWeatherMap, and commercial providers like Meteomatics and Weather Source, each offering varying levels of precision and accessibility. GIS applications of weather data span urban planning, agriculture, and climate research, where weather data integrates with other environmental data to assess risks and inform decisions. The platform Felt is mentioned as a tool that simplifies the process of creating and analyzing live maps by streaming weather data directly from cloud sources, providing user-friendly interfaces for generating shareable spatial insights.