Home › Weather › Open Weather Api
Live forecasts update automatically; written guidance last reviewed 16 June 2026 by the Northern Focus Weather Desk. Data from Environment and Climate Change Canada and other national met services via Open-Meteo.
Live data from Open-Meteo · updates automatically ·
The OpenWeather API is a widely used service that supplies current weather data, forecasts, and historical information for any location worldwide, including the live forecast above for Opin. You access it via a unique API key, and a free tier is available for basic use.
How do I get started with the OpenWeather API?
You first need to sign up for a free account at openweathermap.org to obtain an open weather api key. This key is a personal identifier that authenticates your requests. The open weather api free tier allows up to 60 calls per minute and 1,000,000 calls per month, which is sufficient for most personal projects or small websites. Once you have your key, you can begin making requests using the open weather api url format: api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q={city name}&appid={API key}.
What data can I pull with the API?
You can retrieve current conditions, a 5-day/3-hour forecast, UV index, air pollution data, and more. To get weather for a specific place, use the open weather api city name parameter (e.g., q=Toronto,CA). For devices like a Garmin watch, you can integrate the open weather api key garmin into custom watch faces or data fields. The full open weather api docs detail all endpoints, including options for metric units (Celsius, kilometres per hour) and language settings.
q=City,CountryCode (e.g., q=Ottawa,CA)&units=metric for Celsius and km/hIs the OpenWeather API free forever?
The free tier is permanent for non-commercial use, but it has limits on call frequency and historical data access. For higher usage or commercial projects, you’ll need a paid subscription plan.
How do I find my API key?
After logging into your OpenWeather account, go to the “API Keys” tab in your dashboard. Your default key is listed there; you can generate additional keys for different projects or devices.
Can I use the API for a Garmin watch face?
Yes, many custom Garmin watch faces and data fields use the OpenWeather API. You’ll need to enter your open weather api key into the watch face’s settings on the Connect IQ app or device.
For Canadian conditions, you can also check our Canada weather hub or specific city pages like Toronto Weather and Calgary Weather.