FAQ
Does QuickWX work with GPS coordinates?
Yes — that's what it's built for. Paste any GPS coordinates into the search box and QuickWX pulls the National Weather Service forecast for that exact point. It accepts decimal degrees (e.g. 36.0544, -112.1401), degrees-minutes-seconds (36°03'16"N 112°08'24"W), or degrees-decimal-minutes formats. You can also enter a US ZIP code or a place name if you'd rather.
What coordinate formats does QuickWX accept?
Four formats: decimal degrees, degrees-minutes-seconds (DMS), degrees-decimal-minutes (DDM), and US ZIP codes. Place names work too ("Flagstaff, AZ", "Grand Canyon"). Most GPS apps give you decimal degrees by default — if you long-press any point in Google Maps, the tap-to-copy value is already in the format QuickWX expects.
Where does the forecast data come from?
Directly from the National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), the US government's authoritative source for official forecasts, watches, warnings, and advisories. NWS is part of NOAA. QuickWX doesn't run any proprietary model — you're seeing the same data NOAA issues, just presented for a specific GPS point rather than a town name.
Is QuickWX free? Are there ads?
Yes, completely free. No ads, no paywalls, no account required, no affiliate links. QuickWX collects no personal data beyond Netlify's server-side traffic counts. If that ever changes, it'll be called out clearly — silent monetization isn't the vibe.
Does QuickWX work outside the United States?
No. The National Weather Service only issues forecasts for US territory, so QuickWX is US-only (including Puerto Rico, Guam, and other NWS coverage areas). Coordinates outside NWS coverage get a clear "outside coverage" message rather than a silently wrong answer. For international forecasts, Windy.com and MeteoBlue are solid alternatives.
How accurate are NWS forecasts for a specific GPS point?
NWS forecasts are issued on a ~2.5 km grid, so a "point" forecast is really the forecast for the grid cell your coordinates fall inside. Within 3 days the forecasts are highly reliable; beyond 5 days, treat them as directional rather than precise — that caveat applies to any forecast provider, not just NWS.
Can I use QuickWX for backcountry trip planning?
Yes — that's the intended use case. QuickWX was built specifically for dispersed camping, backcountry hiking, overlanding, fishing, and any activity where your destination isn't a named town. Always check the severe-weather-alerts banner before a remote trip, and carry a backup plan — cell service in the backcountry is unreliable.
Why not just use Weather.com or Wunderground?
Those sites are great if your destination has a name. They're optimized for city-level queries, so you end up with the forecast for the nearest town — often miles and hundreds of feet of elevation away from where you're actually going. QuickWX cuts out that layer: you tell it the exact coordinates, it gives you the forecast for that point.
How often does the forecast update?
NWS updates its forecasts multiple times a day (typically every 1-6 hours, depending on the product). QuickWX fetches fresh data on every page load, so a refresh gets you the newest available forecast. Results are cached in your browser for 10 minutes to avoid hammering NWS's servers on rapid refreshes.
Does QuickWX show severe weather alerts?
Yes. Active watches, warnings, and advisories from NWS are shown at the top of the results page for any coordinates inside an affected area. Alerts stream in separately from the main forecast — the page paints quickly and the alerts banner appears as soon as NWS's alerts API responds (usually 5-15 seconds on a cold cache).
Does QuickWX work offline?
No. QuickWX pulls live data from NWS on every request, so you need an active internet connection. If you're planning a trip into an area without cell service, load the forecast before you leave and use the "Copy forecast" button to save the text to your notes app, or screenshot the results page.