Installation

This guide will walk you through installing and configuring the Weather MCP server for use with Claude Desktop.

Prerequisites

Before installing Weather MCP, ensure you have the following:

Node.js 18 or later - Download Node.js
Claude Desktop - Download Claude Desktop
NOAA API Token (optional but recommended) - Get a free token

Weather MCP works without a NOAA API token by falling back to Open-Meteo, but getting a token is recommended for the best experience.

Installation Methods

Method 1: Global Installation (Recommended)

Install Weather MCP globally using npm:

npm install -g @weather-mcp/server

Verify the installation:

weather-mcp --version

Method 2: npx (No Installation Required)

You can run Weather MCP directly without installing it:

npx @weather-mcp/server

This method is useful for testing, but global installation is recommended for regular use.

Configuration

Step 1: Get Your NOAA API Token

Visit NOAA API Registration
Sign up for a free account
Verify your email address
Copy your API token from the dashboard

Keep your API token secure! Never commit it to version control or share it publicly.

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Add Weather MCP to your Claude Desktop configuration:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "weather": {
      "command": "weather-mcp",
      "env": {
        "NOAA_API_TOKEN": "your-noaa-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Optional: Enable Analytics

To help improve Weather MCP by sending anonymous usage analytics, add:

"ENABLE_ANALYTICS": "true"

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

After updating the configuration file:

Completely quit Claude Desktop
Restart the application
Weather MCP tools should now be available

Verification

To verify Weather MCP is working correctly, try asking Claude:

"What's the weather forecast for Seattle?"

Claude should respond with current weather data from the Weather MCP server.

Troubleshooting

Weather MCP Not Found

If Claude says the weather tools are unavailable:

Verify the installation: which weather-mcp (macOS/Linux) or where weather-mcp (Windows)
Check that the path in claude_desktop_config.json is correct
Ensure you've restarted Claude Desktop

API Errors

If you're getting API errors:

Verify your NOAA API token is correct
Check that your token is active at NOAA API Dashboard
Try removing the token temporarily - Weather MCP will use Open-Meteo as a fallback

Configuration File Not Found

If you can't find the configuration file:

Create the directory if it doesn't exist
Create a new claude_desktop_config.json file
Add the configuration shown above

Need more help? Check the Troubleshooting Guide or open an issue on GitHub.

Next Steps

Updating

To update Weather MCP to the latest version:

npm update -g @weather-mcp/server

Or if using npx, you'll automatically get the latest version each time you run it.