Why is the API returning different observations data?

Developers
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1

We have 9 Tempest Weather Systems, and recently two of them started returning less observation data via the API, which is breaking our app. Why did this suddenly happen?

Two are only returning:

observations: {
  "lightning_strike_count": 0,
  "lightning_strike_count_last_1hr": 0,
  "lightning_strike_count_last_3hr": 0,
  "lightning_strike_last_distance": 16,
  "lightning_strike_last_epoch": 1699266866,
  "precip": 0.0,
  "precip_accum_last_1hr": 0.0,
  "precip_accum_local_day": 1.898181,
  "precip_accum_local_day_final": 5.529569,
  "precip_accum_local_yesterday": 9.126079,
  "precip_accum_local_yesterday_final": 10.499008,
  "precip_analysis_type_yesterday": 1,
  "precip_minutes_local_day": 46,
  "precip_minutes_local_yesterday": 198,
  "precip_minutes_local_yesterday_final": 198,
  "pressure_trend": "unknown",
  "timestamp": 1699294467,
  "current_conditions": "Thunderstorms Likely",
  "conditions_icon": "thunderstorm",
  "wind_direction_cardinal": "S"
}

And the other seven are returning:

observations: {
  "air_density": 1.21734,
  "air_temperature": 11.9,
  "barometric_pressure": 996.1,
  "brightness": 22138,
  "delta_t": 0.9,
  "dew_point": 10.3,
  "feels_like": 11.9,
  "heat_index": 11.9,
  "lightning_strike_count": 0,
  "lightning_strike_count_last_1hr": 0,
  "lightning_strike_count_last_3hr": 0,
  "lightning_strike_last_distance": 37,
  "lightning_strike_last_epoch": 1699267254,
  "precip": 0.0,
  "precip_accum_last_1hr": 2.544944,
  "precip_accum_local_day": 34.034613,
  "precip_accum_local_day_final": 20.801257,
  "precip_accum_local_yesterday": 23.679448,
  "precip_accum_local_yesterday_final": 15.910016,
  "precip_analysis_type_yesterday": 1,
  "precip_minutes_local_day": 354,
  "precip_minutes_local_yesterday": 353,
  "precip_minutes_local_yesterday_final": 353,
  "pressure_trend": "steady",
  "relative_humidity": 90,
  "sea_level_pressure": 1002.0,
  "solar_radiation": 185,
  "station_pressure": 996.1,
  "timestamp": 1699294487,
  "uv": 0.97,
  "wet_bulb_globe_temperature": 11.6,
  "wet_bulb_temperature": 11.0,
  "wind_avg": 4.9,
  "wind_chill": 11.9,
  "wind_direction": 209,
  "wind_gust": 6.4,
  "wind_lull": 3.2,
  "current_conditions": "Thunderstorms Possible",
  "conditions_icon": "possibly-thunderstorm-day",
  "wind_direction_cardinal": "SSW"
}

What would cause two of them to suddenly not have the same data? Why are the properties missing? They are the exact same weather stations…

I’m calling this endpoint:

observation_response = requests.get(
                f"https://swd.weatherflow.com/swd/rest/observations/station/{station_id}",
                headers=headers,
                params=params,
            ).json()["obs"][0]
2

I think I figured it out… I found where on the Tempest app you can see errors, and they both are showing this for Sensor Status:

Screenshot 2023-11-06 at 10.27.03 AM
Screenshot 2023-11-06 at 10.27.03 AM1402×84 8.55 KB

Kind of crazy to already have these issues, and our Oregon Coast stormy winter hasn’t even started yet.

3

Power cycle them and if the sensor failures return, open a support ticket using the link in the menu above.

4

Fire the developer that wrote the application and get a programmer that knows about error handling.

3 Likes
5

He does exist!!!
Welcome back, Gary!

4 Likes
6

Glad to see you again Gary (hello from David btw). Hope all is fine with you.

7

That and Tempest could use better hardware that can actually, like, hold up outside?