Data Validation Tables

Data Validation Tables are designed to provide a snapshot of the parameters that are valid and will not kick back an error from the NWS API.

For instance, suppose you are getting all active tornado alerts:

tors = api_connector.get_active_alerts(event = 'Tornado')

This will not work, as Tornado is not in the Events Data Validation Table. NWSAPy will raise a DataValidationError and tell you that it is not found in the respective Data Validation Table. However, Tornado Warning and Tornado Watch are in the Data Validation Table associated with this parameter, so instead you’ll read in your parameter as such:

tors = api_connector.get_active_alerts(event = ['Tornado Warning', 'Tornado Watch'])

This section provides all the Data Validation Tables, as well as what methods they are used in to validate your input. In addition, each parameter listing in the NWSAPy API reference has a link to the respective table it uses to check to ensure that the data is valid.

Warning

You must pay attention to capitalization and spellig when building parameters for your get_* functions, as the API may say it’s invalid. NWSAPy will, in the very near future, will handle any capitalization errors and allow for a more robust parameter system (for a lack of better words).

Area

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

• get_alert_by_area()

Valid Areas

AL	Alabama	MA	Massachussetts	TX	Texas
AK	Alaska	MI	Michigan	UT	Utah
AS	American Samoa	MN	Minnesota	VT	Vermont
AR	Arkansas	MS	Mississippi	VI	Virgin Islands
AZ	Arizona	MO	Missouri	VA	Virginia
CA	California	MT	Montana	WA	Washington
CO	Colorado	NE	Nebraska	WV	West Virginia
CT	Connecticut	NV	Nevada	WI	Wisconsin
DE	Deleware	NH	New Hampshire	WY	Wyoming
DC	District of Columbia	NJ	New Jersey	PZ	Eastern North Pacific Ocean
FL	Florida	NM	New Mexico	PK	North Pacific Ocean Near Alaska
GA	Georiga	NY	New York	PH	Central Pacific Ocean
GU	Guam	NC	North Carolina	PS	South Central Pacific Ocean
HI	Hawaii	ND	North Dakota	PM	Western Pacific Ocean
ID	Idaho	OH	Ohio	AN	Northwest North Atlantic Ocean
IL	Illinois	OK	Oklahoma	AM	West North Atlantic Ocean
IN	Indiana	OR	Oregon	GM	Gulf of Mexico
IA	Iowa	PA	Pennsylvania	LS	Lake Superior
KS	Kansas	PR	Puerto Rico	LM	Lake Michigan
KY	Kentucky	RI	Rhode Island	LH	Lake Huron
LA	Louisiana	SC	South Carolina	LC	Lake St. Clair
ME	Maine	SD	South Dakota	LE	Lake Erie
MD	Maryland	TN	Tennessee	LO	Lake Ontario

Certainty

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Certainty Levels

likely

observed

possible

unlikely

unknown

Marine Regions

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

• get_alert_by_marine_region()

Valid Marine Regions

AL	Alaska Region
AT	Atlantic Region
GL	Great Lakes
GM	Gulf of Mexico
PA	Pacific Region
PI	Pacific Islands

Message Types

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Message Types

Alert

Cancel

Update

Products (Event)

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Alert Products (Event)

911 Telephone Outage Emergency	Extreme Cold Watch	High Wind Watch	Small Craft Advisory For Rough Bar
Administrative Message	Extreme Fire Danger	Hurricane Force Wind Warning	Small Craft Advisory For Winds
Air Quality Alert	Extreme Wind Warning	Hurricane Force Wind Watch	Small Stream Flood Advisory
Air Stagnation Advisory	Fire Warning	Hurricane Local Statement	Snow Squall Warning
Arroyo And Small Stream Flood Advisory	Fire Weather Watch	Hurricane Warning	Special Marine Warning
Ashfall Advisory	Flash Flood Statement	Hurricane Watch	Special Weather Statement
Ashfall Warning	Flash Flood Warning	Hydrologic Advisory	Storm Surge Warning
Avalanche Advisory	Flash Flood Watch	Hydrologic Outlook	Storm Surge Watch
Avalanche Warning	Flood Advisory	Ice Storm Warning	Storm Warning
Avalanche Watch	Flood Statement	Lake Effect Snow Advisory	Storm Watch
Beach Hazards Statement	Flood Warning	Lake Effect Snow Warning	Test
Blizzard Warning	Flood Watch	Lake Effect Snow Watch	Tornado Warning
Blizzard Watch	Freeze Warning	Lake Wind Advisory	Tornado Watch
Blowing Dust Advisory	Freeze Watch	Lakeshore Flood Advisory	Tropical Depression Local Statement
Blowing Dust Warning	Freezing Fog Advisory	Lakeshore Flood Statement	Tropical Storm Local Statement
Brisk Wind Advisory	Freezing Rain Advisory	Lakeshore Flood Warning	Tropical Storm Warning
Child Abduction Emergency	Freezing Spray Advisory	Lakeshore Flood Watch	Tropical Storm Watch
Civil Danger Warning	Frost Advisory	Law Enforcement Warning	Tsunami Advisory
Civil Emergency Message	Gale Warning	Local Area Emergency	Tsunami Warning
Coastal Flood Advisory	Gale Watch	Low Water Advisory	Tsunami Watch
Coastal Flood Statement	Hard Freeze Warning	Marine Weather Statement	Typhoon Local Statement
Coastal Flood Warning	Hard Freeze Watch	Nuclear Power Plant Warning	Typhoon Warning
Coastal Flood Watch	Hazardous Materials Warning	Radiological Hazard Warning	Typhoon Watch
Dense Fog Advisory	Hazardous Seas Warning	Red Flag Warning	Urban And Small Stream Flood Advisory
Dense Smoke Advisory	Hazardous Seas Watch	Rip Current Statement	Volcano Warning
Dust Advisory	Hazardous Weather Outlook	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	Wind Advisory
Dust Storm Warning	Heat Advisory	Severe Thunderstorm Watch	Wind Chill Advisory
Earthquake Warning	Heavy Freezing Spray Warning	Severe Weather Statement	Wind Chill Warning
Evacuation - Immediate	Heavy Freezing Spray Watch	Shelter In Place Warning	Wind Chill Watch
Excessive Heat Warning	High Surf Advisory	Short Term Forecast	Winter Storm Warning
Excessive Heat Watch	High Surf Warning	Small Craft Advisory	Winter Storm Watch
Extreme Cold Warning	High Wind Warning	Small Craft Advisory For Hazardous Seas	Winter Weather Advisory

Region Type

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Region Types

Land

Marine

Severity

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Severity

Extreme

Minor

Moderate

Severe

Unknown

Status

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Status

Actual

Exercise

Draft

System

Test

Urgency

This data validation table is used in the following methods:

• get_active_alerts()

• get_alerts()

Valid Urgency

Expected

Future

Immediate

Past

Unknown