Scootercam is a weather station website with webcams. It started out as a hobby but has outgrown its sandbox, and is on its way to a sustainable future as a set of easily-maintained WordPress plugins. Each plugin does something specific, and we’ll dive into each of them later. First though is the view from 30,000 feet – the big picture, how data and images come together on the world’s most important website.

Weather data

There are two ways Scootercam gets weather data – like the current temp, or tomorrow’s chance of rain:

Home weather stations connected to the internet. These could include the LaCrosse weather station or the home-built units I’ve added. They’re usually limited to temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, and barometric pressure. They take periodic readings and send the data somewhere, which may be an app, “the cloud,” or a website like Scootercam that’s been set up to receive the data.
“Data aggregators” (we use Visual Crossing) pull weather data from dozens of sources and use computer models to create hyperlocal forecasts. The result is a huge dataset that’s updated and downloaded every few minutes. Scripts on Scootercam handle it, and some of that’s why we’re here today.

The data we get from Visual Crossing is essential for Scootercam’s 24-hour and 7-day forecasts, and for example, for selecting which icon or emoji is shown where (we get moon phase data from another source). There are several new Scootercam WordPress plugins that handle how the data is presented. We’ll get to those later. First, a look at how it gets here – the Scootercam Weather and Moon Phase Updater.

This plugin should be able to run without intervention, but knowing what it’s doing will help if there’s any need for problem solving. It manages the queries made to Visual Crossing and Moon API, receives the data, and then sorts the giant output files into much smaller, more useable chunks. Other plugins use the chunks to make forecast tables. Here’s how the Scootercam Weather and Moon Phase Updater works.

In simplest terms, the plugin ties in with an external service to send a scheduled message back to Scootercam – every 5 minutes for Visual Crossing weather data, every hour for moon data. Let’s start with Visual Crossing.

Visual Crossing Weather API – Query Examples

Understanding your weather API queries

📍 Your Current Query

This is what Scootercam’s api-get-viscross.php script sends to Visual Crossing:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992?unitGroup=us&elements=temp,humidity,windspeed,winddir,aqius,precipprob,conditions,icon,datetime,tempmax,tempmin,preciptype,sunrise,sunset,description,visibility,uvindex,cloudcover,severerisk,pressure,dew&include=current,hours,days,alerts&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Breaking It Down:

Base URL:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/

Location:

42.5590784,-86.228992

Format: latitude,longitude
Scootercam’s location: Near South Haven, Michigan

Parameters:

unitGroup=us
- Temperature in Fahrenheit
- Wind speed in miles per hour
- Precipitation in inches
- Alternative: unitGroup=metric (Celsius, km/h, mm)
elements=... (What data to include)
- temp – Current temperature
- humidity – Humidity percentage
- windspeed – Wind speed
- winddir – Wind direction (degrees)
- aqius – Air quality index
- precipprob – Chance of precipitation (%)
- conditions – Weather description (e.g., “Partly cloudy”)
- icon – Weather icon identifier
- datetime – Timestamp
- tempmax – Daily high temperature
- tempmin – Daily low temperature
- preciptype – Type of precipitation (rain, snow, etc.)
- sunrise – Sunrise time
- sunset – Sunset time
- description – Detailed forecast text
- visibility – Visibility distance
- uvindex – UV index
- cloudcover – Cloud coverage percentage
- severerisk – Severe weather risk (0-100)
- pressure – Atmospheric pressure
- dew – Dew point temperature
include=current,hours,days,alerts (What timeframes to include)
- current – Current conditions
- hours – Hourly forecast (next 48 hours)
- days – Daily forecast (next 15 days)
- alerts – Weather alerts/warnings
key=YOUR_API_KEY
- Your unique Visual Crossing API key
- Format: SQ3BFTRLVYJH9VV9GAWZ2TTXB

📊 What We Get Back

We get a file – a huge file, over 4200 lines of structured data! Visual Crossing returns a JSON response with all this:

Current Conditions Example:

{
  "currentConditions": {
    "datetime": "14:30:00",
    "temp": 68.5,
    "humidity": 65,
    "windspeed": 12.4,
    "winddir": 225,
    "conditions": "Partly cloudy",
    "icon": "partly-cloudy-day",
    "precipprob": 20,
    "uvindex": 6,
    "visibility": 10.0
  }
}

Hourly Forecast Example:

for every hour (168 of them) for the next seven days:

{
  "days": [
    {
      "hours": [
        {
          "datetime": "15:00:00",
          "temp": 69.2,
          "conditions": "Partly cloudy",
          "precipprob": 15
        },
        {
          "datetime": "16:00:00",
          "temp": 70.1,
          "conditions": "Mostly sunny",
          "precipprob": 10
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Daily Forecast Example:

{
  "days": [
    {
      "datetime": "2025-10-24",
      "tempmax": 72.0,
      "tempmin": 58.5,
      "conditions": "Partly cloudy",
      "precipprob": 30,
      "sunrise": "07:45:00",
      "sunset": "18:30:00",
      "description": "Partly cloudy throughout the day with a chance of afternoon showers."
    }
  ]
}

🎛️ Customizing The Query

Not that we asked for it, but when AI wrote this part of the guide, it included this Example section to show how the service works. We don’t need any of this, but it’s good background anyway…

Example 1: Get Only Current Weather (Fewer API Calls)

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992?unitGroup=us&elements=temp,conditions,icon&include=current&key=YOUR_API_KEY

What changed:

Removed hourly/daily forecasts (include=current only)
Fewer elements (just temp, conditions, icon)
Uses less data
Good for: Simple current weather displays

API Cost: 1 call = 1 credit

Example 2: Get 7-Day Forecast Only (No Hourly)

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992?unitGroup=us&elements=datetime,tempmax,tempmin,conditions,icon,precipprob&include=days&key=YOUR_API_KEY

What changed:

Only daily forecast (include=days)
No current conditions or hourly
Good for: Week-at-a-glance displays

API Cost: 1 call = 1 credit

Example 3: Metric Units (Celsius)

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992?unitGroup=metric&elements=temp,humidity,windspeed&include=current&key=YOUR_API_KEY

What changed:

unitGroup=metric instead of us
Returns: Celsius, km/h, millimeters

Result:

{
  "temp": 20.3,        // °C instead of °F
  "windspeed": 20.0,   // km/h instead of mph
  "precip": 5.2        // mm instead of inches
}

Example 4: Specific Date Range

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992/2025-10-24/2025-10-31?unitGroup=us&include=days&key=YOUR_API_KEY

What changed:

Added date range: /2025-10-24/2025-10-31
Returns forecast for specific week
Good for: Planning events

API Cost: 1 call = 1 credit (regardless of date range)

Example 5: Historical Weather

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992/2025-10-01/2025-10-01?unitGroup=us&include=days&key=YOUR_API_KEY

What changed:

Past date (October 1, 2025)
Returns actual observed weather
Good for: Historical analysis, comparisons

API Cost: 1 call = 1 credit

Example 6: Different Location

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/41.8781,-87.6298?unitGroup=us&include=current&key=YOUR_API_KEY

What changed:

Different coordinates: 41.8781,-87.6298 (Chicago, IL)
Everything else the same

How to find coordinates:

Google Maps: Right-click location → “What’s here?”
Shows: 41.8781, -87.6298 (copy these)

🔍 Alternative Query Methods

By City Name

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/Chicago,IL?unitGroup=us&include=current&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Pros:

✅ Easier to read
✅ No need to look up coordinates

Cons:

❌ Less precise
❌ Can be ambiguous (multiple cities with same name)

Best practice: Use coordinates for reliability

By ZIP Code

Query:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/49090?unitGroup=us&include=current&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Pros:

✅ Simple
✅ Precise enough for most uses

Cons:

❌ US only
❌ ZIP codes can cover large areas

💰 API Usage & Costs

Free Tier

1,000 calls per day
15-day forecast
Historical data back to January 1, 1970
All features included

Your Current Usage

Update frequency: Every 5 minutes
Calls per day: 288 (24 hours × 60 minutes ÷ 5 minutes)
Calls per month: ~8,640
Free tier remaining: 712 calls/day for other uses

You’re using 28.8% of your daily free tier ✅

Optimization Ideas

Current: 5 minutes = 288 calls/day

Options:

10 minutes = 144 calls/day (50% savings, still very fresh)
15 minutes = 96 calls/day (67% savings, perfectly adequate)
30 minutes = 48 calls/day (83% savings, still current)

Recommendation: 10 minutes is a good balance

🎯 Understanding Elements

Temperature Elements

elements=temp,tempmax,tempmin,feelslike,dew

temp – Current/forecast temperature
tempmax – Daily high temperature
tempmin – Daily low temperature
feelslike – “Feels like” temperature (with wind chill/heat index)
dew – Dew point temperature

Precipitation Elements

elements=precip,precipprob,preciptype,precipcover,snow,snowdepth

precip – Amount of precipitation (inches or mm)
precipprob – Probability of precipitation (0-100%)
preciptype – Type: rain, snow, freezing rain, ice
precipcover – Percentage of day with precipitation
snow – Amount of snow
snowdepth – Depth of snow on ground

Wind Elements

elements=windspeed,winddir,windgust

windspeed – Average wind speed
winddir – Wind direction in degrees (0=N, 90=E, 180=S, 270=W)
windgust – Maximum wind gust speed

Sky/Visibility Elements

elements=cloudcover,visibility,solarradiation,solarenergy,uvindex

cloudcover – Cloud coverage percentage (0-100%)
visibility – Visibility distance (miles or km)
solarradiation – Solar radiation (W/m²)
solarenergy – Total solar energy (MJ/m²)
uvindex – UV index (0-11+)

Air Quality Elements

elements=aqius,pm25,pm10,o3,no2,so2,co

aqius – Air Quality Index (US scale)
pm25 – Fine particulate matter
pm10 – Coarse particulate matter
o3 – Ozone
no2 – Nitrogen dioxide
so2 – Sulfur dioxide
co – Carbon monoxide

Time Elements

elements=datetime,datetimeEpoch,sunrise,sunset,moonphase

datetime – Date/time in readable format
datetimeEpoch – Unix timestamp
sunrise – Sunrise time
sunset – Sunset time
moonphase – Moon phase (0=new, 0.5=full)

Severe Weather Elements

elements=severerisk,conditions,description

severerisk – Risk of severe weather (0-100)
conditions – Brief description (“Partly cloudy”)
description – Detailed forecast text

📝 Common Query Patterns

Pattern 1: Current Conditions Dashboard

?unitGroup=us
&elements=temp,humidity,windspeed,winddir,conditions,icon,feelslike
&include=current
&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Use case: Homepage weather widget

Pattern 2: 7-Day Forecast

?unitGroup=us
&elements=datetime,tempmax,tempmin,conditions,icon,precipprob
&include=days
&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Use case: Week ahead planning

Pattern 3: Hourly Forecast (Next 24 Hours)

?unitGroup=us
&elements=datetime,temp,conditions,icon,precipprob
&include=hours
&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Use case: Detailed near-term forecast

Pattern 4: Complete Weather Station

?unitGroup=us
&elements=temp,humidity,windspeed,winddir,pressure,visibility,cloudcover,uvindex,aqius,conditions,icon
&include=current
&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Use case: Full weather station display

Pattern 5: Alerts Only

?unitGroup=us
&elements=conditions
&include=current,alerts
&key=YOUR_API_KEY

Use case: Weather warning system

🔧 Query Testing

Test Your Query in Browser

Copy your full query URL
Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your actual key
Paste into browser address bar
Press Enter
Browser shows JSON response

Example:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/42.5590784,-86.228992?unitGroup=us&include=current&key=SQ3BFTRLVYJH9VV9GAWZ2TTXB

What You Should See

Success (200 OK):

{
  "queryCost": 1,
  "latitude": 42.559,
  "longitude": -86.229,
  "resolvedAddress": "42.5590784,-86.228992",
  "address": "42.5590784,-86.228992",
  "timezone": "America/Detroit",
  "currentConditions": {
    "datetime": "14:30:00",
    "temp": 68.5,
    ...
  }
}

Error (Invalid Key):

{
  "errorCode": 401,
  "message": "Invalid API key"
}

Error (Exceeded Limit):

{
  "errorCode": 429,
  "message": "Too many requests"
}

💡 Pro Tips

Tip 1: Cache Results

Don’t call the API more than needed. Weather doesn’t change that fast!

Current conditions: Update every 5-15 minutes
Hourly forecast: Update every 30-60 minutes
Daily forecast: Update every 2-4 hours

Tip 2: Use Minimal Elements

Only request data you actually display. Fewer elements = faster response.

Tip 3: Combine Timeframes

One query can get current + hourly + daily:

&include=current,hours,days

This is still 1 API call!

Tip 4: Monitor Usage

Check your Visual Crossing dashboard: https://www.visualcrossing.com/account

Tip 5: Handle Errors Gracefully

Your script should:

Check for valid response
Fall back to cached data if API fails
Log errors for debugging

🌍 Location Examples

Major US Cities

New York City:

40.7128,-74.0060

Los Angeles:

34.0522,-118.2437

Chicago:

41.8781,-87.6298

Miami:

25.7617,-80.1918

Seattle:

47.6062,-122.3321

How to Get Coordinates

Method 1: Google Maps

Right-click location
Click “What’s here?”
Copy coordinates from bottom

Method 2: Visual Crossing

Type city name
It returns coordinates in response

Method 3: GPS Device

Most smartphones show coordinates in Maps app

📖 Quick Reference

Your Current Query Structure

BASE_URL / LOCATION ? PARAMETERS & key=API_KEY

Parameter Format

?param1=value1&param2=value2&param3=value3

Essential Parameters

unitGroup – us or metric
elements – comma-separated list
include – current, hours, days, alerts
key – your API key

Response Format

{
  "resolvedAddress": "Location name",
  "days": [...],
  "currentConditions": {...},
  "alerts": [...]
}

🎓 Learning More

Official Documentation

https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/timeline-weather-api

API Explorer (Interactive)

https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather/weather-data-services

Your Account Dashboard

https://www.visualcrossing.com/account

Support

https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-api-support

Remember: Your current query gets everything you need. These examples are just for understanding and customization!

Current query cost: 1 credit per call
Daily calls: 288 (every 5 minutes)
Daily usage: 28.8% of free tier ✅
Status: Excellent! Plenty of room to spare.