Open Meteo archive free historical weather data
Have you ever wondered what the weather was exactly like on the day you were born? Or maybe you’re building an app that needs to know how much it rained last summer? Weather data isn’t just for meteorologists. Whether you are a farmer trying to understand seasonal shifts, a developer building a new weather app, a student studying climate change, or simply a curious hobbyist, having access to reliable past weather data is incredibly useful.
The problem is that finding good, free historical weather data can be a massive headache. That’s where the Open-Meteo Archive comes in. In this post, I’m going to introduce you to this amazing free resource that makes climate data accessible to everyone. We will talk about what makes it so special, the types of weather data you can track, and where you can go to start building with it.
What Exactly is the Open-Meteo Archive?
At its core, the Open-Meteo Archive provides completely free, open-source access to historical and past weather data. And the best part? You don’t even need to create an account to use it. You can effortlessly access decades of climate history alongside archived past forecasts just by using their Historical Weather API to pull data for any specific coordinate on Earth.
Here are the key features that make it stand out:
- Decades of History: It provides a continuous historical timeseries of weather variables with a 1-hour step, reaching all the way back to January 1, 1979. This is perfect if you are looking to spot long-term climate trends.
- Tools for Machine Learning: They offer a dedicated Historical Forecast API. This is designed specifically for checking past forecasts or training machine learning models by continuously recording daily high-resolution weather model outputs.
- Recent Past at a Glance: It integrates short-term historical forecast runs (up to 16 days back) so you can easily compare what was predicted recently with what actually happened.
How Does Open-Meteo Collect Its Data?
You might assume they run thousands of weather stations, but Open-Meteo actually acts as an enormous data aggregator. Every single day, it pulls in over 2 terabytes of raw data files from the biggest national weather services across the globe.
Instead of you having to download massive, complex binary files, Open-Meteo processes and normalizes all of this raw data into a clean, unified format. As new model runs are published, the system continuously stitches them together, ensuring a seamless stream of historical weather data without any gaps.
What Kind of Weather Can You Track?
You might be wondering if it only tracks temperature. The answer is no! Open-Meteo seamlessly integrates data from dozens of global weather models (like the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts [ECMWF], the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], and the German Meteorological Service [DWD]) to ensure there are no frustrating gaps in the timeline.
Here is a glimpse of the metrics you can get your hands on:
- Core Variables: Temperature, relative humidity, precipitation (rain and snow), and wind speed/direction.
- Atmospheric Details: Pressure, solar radiation, CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy), and soil moisture.
- Aggregated Formats: Data can be queried natively in JSON via HTTP requests or downloaded using Python and R integrations. [1]
Free Tier & Commercial Options
If you are a hobbyist or researcher, the API is available for non-commercial use at absolutely no cost. There is no API key, no sign-up, and no credit card required. You get up to 10,000 daily API calls for free (though attribution is required under the CC BY 4.0 data licence). Despite being free of charge, the forecast accuracy is top-notch, utilizing a vast array of local weather models with rapid updates to ensure precise forecasts for any location globally.
However, if your project grows or you need to use the data for business purposes, they also provide an API for commercial use. Starting at €29 per month, these plans offer a commercial use licence, dedicated API capacity, and direct support. You can check out all the details on their pricing page.
Documentation and Tools
If you’re eager to get your hands dirty, they make it incredibly straightforward. For comprehensive query parameters, exact data variables, and code examples for integration, you can explore the Historical Forecast API or refer to the Historical Weather API documentation directly on the Open-Meteo.com main platform.
Wrapping Up
To put it simply, the Open-Meteo Archive is a powerful, completely free tool that unlocks decades of weather data for anyone who needs it. We’ve covered how it provides a continuous history dating back to 1979, the vast array of basic and advanced weather variables available, and how easily you can plug it into your own projects. By combining data from major global models into one accessible platform, Open-Meteo removes the headaches usually associated with climate research. Whether you need temperature trends from 1980 or yesterday’s solar radiation levels, this resource has you covered, without ever asking for an account login.
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Related Concepts & Posts
The following cards provide further definitions of concepts discussed above, and possible links to related posts.
What is Open-Meteo?
Open-Meteo is a free platform that provides weather forecasts and historical climate data. Anyone can access it easily without needing to create an account or sign up.
Learn MoreHow is Data Collected?
Open-Meteo doesn’t run its own weather stations. Instead, it aggregates over 2 terabytes of raw data daily from major national services like NOAA and ECMWF, processes it, and serves it through a simple API. Source: [1]
Commercial & Free Tiers
Non-commercial use is free up to 10,000 daily API calls with no API key or credit card required (CC BY 4.0 attribution). Commercial plans with dedicated capacity start at €29/month.
View PricingWho Uses This Data?
This data is incredibly useful for scientists tracking climate change, farmers looking at past weather trends, businesses forecasting demand, and students or hobbyists building weather apps.
History API
Provides a continuous historical timeseries of weather variables with a 1-hour step, reaching all the way back to January 1, 1979.
View History APIHistorical Forecast API
Designed specifically for forecast verification or training machine learning models, this continuously records daily high-resolution weather model outputs.
Explore ForecastsCore Variables
Access essential weather metrics like temperature, relative humidity, precipitation (rain and snow), and wind speed/direction from global models.
