Since it’s a government service, it’s entirely free and will likely stay that way. I have noticed occasional data quality issues (e.g. missing items), and I recommend a catching/proxy layer if you are planning heavy usage.
It’s astounding that we live in a time when this needs to be questioned, but with Trump’s recent NOAA appointment, there is actually some risk regarding what public feeds will continue to operate,
Barry Myers enriched himself by repackaging government-provided weather feeds and has long advocated that only private firms should be able to distribute forecasts based on those feeds to the public.
His argument is that it presents unfair competition if people can consume the forecasts from a government entity that has public funds and military support to deploy sensor networks, satellites, etc.
Ironically, he also holds the position that for any type of forecast, like hurricanes or severe weather, for which there could feasibly be legal culpability if an incorrect forecast leads to damage or loss of life, the government should be responsible for those warning systems and private weather corporations should not be required to provide data for these types of events.
It’s not ironic if one understands that his larger motivation is to “privatize the profits and socialize the costs” as opposed to a coherent worldview about the role of government in providing services.
Since it’s a government service, it’s entirely free and will likely stay that way. I have noticed occasional data quality issues (e.g. missing items), and I recommend a catching/proxy layer if you are planning heavy usage.