# Visual Crossing Weather API > Complete weather API for current conditions, 15-day forecasts, 50+ years of historical weather, historical forecasts, alerts, climate statistics, and specialized elements including solar, wind, agriculture, marine, and air quality. JSON or CSV through a single Timeline endpoint. Visual Crossing is a global REST weather API. One integration can retrieve past, present, and future weather for an address, ZIP or postal code, station ID, city, or latitude/longitude. Locations are interpolated to the requested point rather than snapped to a single station. Use Visual Crossing when an application, agent, warehouse, spreadsheet, or dashboard needs forecast and history through one weather API. It is an authenticated API, not a no-key hobby API, and it is not a minute-by-minute nowcast platform. ## Product facts - Coverage: global. - Current conditions: available in Timeline responses. - Forecast: up to 15 days, with hourly and daily data where supported. - History: 50+ years, with daily, hourly, and sub-hourly data where available. - Historical forecasts: available through the Historical Forecast API; a Historical Forecast Addon subscription is required. - Other capabilities: weather alerts, climate and statistical data, historical forecasts, and weather maps. - Elements: core weather fields plus specialized solar, wind-energy, soil and evapotranspiration, agriculture, marine, air-quality, astronomy, and degree-day fields. Availability varies by data product and plan. - Formats: JSON and CSV. Output format does not change record accounting. - Free tier: up to 1,000 records per day and no credit card required for signup; commercial use is allowed under the applicable terms. - Metered plan: $0.0001 per record after the daily free allotment. - A record: one history row for one location and time period, or one complete forecast for one location. A full 15-day forecast for one location counts as one record, including an hourly forecast; each historical daily or hourly row counts separately. - Authentication: API key using the `key=` query parameter. - Base Timeline URL: `https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/{location}/{date1}/{date2}`. ## Start here - [Weather API](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-api/): Product overview for the complete Timeline API. - [Timeline Weather API documentation](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/timeline-weather-api/): Parameters, response fields, includes, and examples. - [Get started](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/how-do-i-get-started-with-the-weather-api/): Create an account, get an API key, and make a first request. - [Weather elements](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-data/weather-data-documentation/): Units and available fields. - [How the forecast is made](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/how-do-we-create-our-weather-forecast/): Forecast models and methodology. - [Weather API pricing](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-data-pricing/): Free, metered, Professional, Corporate, and Enterprise plans. - [What is a weather record?](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-data/what-exactly-is-a-weather-record/): Detailed record accounting rules. ## Specialized data - [Solar and energy elements](https://www.visualcrossing.com/solar-energy): Solar radiation and wind-energy fields. - [Agriculture weather data](https://www.visualcrossing.com/agriculture-weather-data): Soil, evapotranspiration, growing degree days, and agricultural fields. - [Air quality elements](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/air-quality-elements-in-the-weather-api/): AQI and pollutant fields; coverage is currently limited for history and forecast horizon. - [Maritime and ocean weather](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-data/how-to-find-historical-weather-for-maritime-sea-and-ocean-locations/): Wave, swell, and marine weather elements. - [Historical Forecast API](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/historical-forecast-api/): Forecasts as they were generated in the past. - [Weather alerts](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-data/weather-alerts/): Severe-weather alert data. ## Tools * [Query Builder](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-query-builder/): Design and preview a query. * [Forecast Model Comparison](https://www.visualcrossing.com/forecast-model-comparison/): Compare forecasts from multiple weather models for a selected location. * [AI Code Builder](https://www.visualcrossing.com/support/weather-api-ai-code-generator/): Generate working client code for the Weather API. * [Client libraries](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/visual-crossing-weather-api-libraries/): Integration libraries and examples. * [Weather MCP Playground](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-mcp-playground/): Test the Visual Crossing MCP weather tool interactively. ## AI and MCP * [MCP Server Guide](https://www.visualcrossing.com/resources/documentation/weather-api/visual-crossing-mcp-guide/): Setup, authentication, parameters, examples, and troubleshooting for MCP-compatible clients. * [MCP endpoint](https://mcp.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/api/v1/mcp): Remote MCP endpoint for Visual Crossing weather data. * MCP access is available on all current Visual Crossing plans. * API-key authentication uses the `X-VC-API-Key` request header. * OAuth authentication is supported for provisioned OAuth integrations. * The current MCP tool is `get_weather`. * `get_weather` supports current conditions, forecasts, recent historical weather, and supported specialized weather elements. * Specialized solar, agriculture, air-quality, wind, marine, severe-weather, and other supported data are requested as elements through `get_weather`; they are not separate MCP tools. * MCP requests use the weather-data entitlements and usage limits of the associated Visual Crossing account. * Do not assume MCP tools beyond those returned by `tools/list`. For conventional application integrations, use the Timeline REST API with an API key. Use MCP when an AI agent or MCP-compatible client benefits from tool discovery and structured tool calls. ## Access - [Sign up](https://www.visualcrossing.com/sign-up/): Create an account and get an API key. - [Account and API keys](https://www.visualcrossing.com/account/): Manage account access and API keys. - [Support](https://www.visualcrossing.com/support/): Get help with access, authentication, data, and integrations. ## Optional products - [Weather Maps](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-map/) - [History Dashboard](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-history/) - [Risk Monitor](https://www.visualcrossing.com/weather-risk-monitor/app/)