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How these concepts fit together (hierarchy)

Every forecast starts with a latitude and longitude. The NWS API translates that point into:

  • a grid cell (for detailed forecasts)
  • one or more zones (for public forecasts and alerts)
  • a forecast office (WFO) responsible for the region

This structure explains why the API returns links instead of direct data when you call /points/{lat},{lon}, it’s mapping your location to the correct grid, zones, and office.

flowchart TD
  A[" Geographic Point (lat, lon)"] --> B["Forecast Grid (local detail)"]
  A --> C["Forecast Zone (regional grouping)"]
  A --> D["Forecast Office (data source)"]

  classDef concept fill:#f1f8ff,stroke:#007acc,stroke-width:1px,color:#000,rx:6,ry:6;
  class A,B,C,D concept;

Figure: Forecast data is organized hierarchically; a point belongs to a grid, which belongs to a zone, all managed by a forecast office (WFO).

Why links instead of data?

The /points endpoint returns URLs because:

  • Grid forecasts come from /gridpoints/{office}/{x},{y}
  • Zone forecasts come from /zones/{type}/{zoneId}
  • Each requires a separate, optimized query

Note: A single point can belong to multiple zones (county, fire weather, marine), but only one forecast grid. The API returns all applicable zones.

Next: Learn about Weather Forecast Offices WFOs →