Addressing Stale alerts in the API

[tmabell]

I've brought this up before and was told that this is correct behavior. In this example we have a Winter Storm Watch that was Upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning. The API continues to populate the Watch. In who's' world does 'UPG' (VTEC Upgrade) suggest that the watch has not been completely replaced and is therefore no longer valid? These "upgraded" products should be removed from the API to eliminate confusion.

{
"@context": [
"https://geojson.org/geojson-ld/geojson-context.jsonld",
{
"@Version": "1.1",
"wx": "https://api.weather.gov/ontology#",
"@vocab": "https://api.weather.gov/ontology#"
}
],
"type": "FeatureCollection",
"features": [
{
"id": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.49e4453b5b09130c2f389139db7b7c2d47df8a5d.001.2",
"type": "Feature",
"geometry": null,
"properties": {
"@id": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.49e4453b5b09130c2f389139db7b7c2d47df8a5d.001.2",
"@type": "wx:Alert",
"id": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.49e4453b5b09130c2f389139db7b7c2d47df8a5d.001.2",
"areaDesc": "Starke; Marshall; Northern La Porte; Eastern St. Joseph; Southern La Porte; Western St. Joseph; Northern Berrien; Southern Berrien",
"geocode": {
"SAME": [
"018149",
"018099",
"018091",
"018141",
"026021"
],
"UGC": [
"INZ012",
"INZ014",
"INZ103",
"INZ104",
"INZ203",
"INZ204",
"MIZ177",
"MIZ277"
]
},
"affectedZones": [
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ012",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ014",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ103",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ104",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ203",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ204",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/MIZ177",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/MIZ277"
],
"references": [],
"sent": "2025-11-09T03:03:00-05:00",
"effective": "2025-11-09T03:03:00-05:00",
"onset": "2025-11-09T11:00:00-05:00",
"expires": "2025-11-09T15:15:00-05:00",
"ends": "2025-11-10T19:00:00-05:00",
"status": "Actual",
"messageType": "Alert",
"category": "Met",
"severity": "Severe",
"certainty": "Likely",
"urgency": "Expected",
"event": "Winter Storm Warning",
"sender": "w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov",
"senderName": "NWS Northern Indiana",
"headline": "Winter Storm Warning issued November 9 at 3:03AM EST until November 10 at 7:00PM EST by NWS Northern Indiana",
"description": "* WHAT...Heavy lake effect snow expected. Total snow accumulations\nbetween 5 and 11 inches. Winds gusting as high as 30 mph.\n\n* WHERE...Portions of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan.\n\n* WHEN...From 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ this morning to 7 PM EST /6 PM\nCST/ Monday.\n\n* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous conditions\ncould impact the Monday morning and evening commutes.",
"instruction": "If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in\nyour vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for\nthe state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.\n\nDuring lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally\nheavy snow to dry weather just a few miles away. Visibilities can\nalso vary greatly. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather,\nvisibility, and road conditions.",
"response": "Prepare",
"parameters": {
"AWIPSidentifier": [
"WSWIWX"
],
"WMOidentifier": [
"WWUS43 KIWX 090803"
],
"NWSheadline": [
"WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ MONDAY"
],
"BLOCKCHANNEL": [
"EAS",
"NWEM",
"CMAS"
],
"EAS-ORG": [
"WXR"
],
"VTEC": [
"/O.NEW.KIWX.WS.W.0001.251109T1600Z-251111T0000Z/"
],
"eventEndingTime": [
"2025-11-10T19:00:00-05:00"
]
},
"scope": "Public",
"code": "IPAWSv1.0",
"language": "en-US",
"web": "http://www.weather.gov",
"eventCode": {
"SAME": [
"WSW"
],
"NationalWeatherService": [
"WSW"
]
}
}
},
{
"id": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.49e4453b5b09130c2f389139db7b7c2d47df8a5d.001.1",
"type": "Feature",
"geometry": null,
"properties": {
"@id": "https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.49e4453b5b09130c2f389139db7b7c2d47df8a5d.001.1",
"@type": "wx:Alert",
"id": "urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.49e4453b5b09130c2f389139db7b7c2d47df8a5d.001.1",
"areaDesc": "Starke; Marshall; Northern La Porte; Eastern St. Joseph; Southern La Porte; Western St. Joseph; Northern Berrien; Southern Berrien",
"geocode": {
"SAME": [
"018149",
"018099",
"018091",
"018141",
"026021"
],
"UGC": [
"INZ012",
"INZ014",
"INZ103",
"INZ104",
"INZ203",
"INZ204",
"MIZ177",
"MIZ277"
]
},
"affectedZones": [
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ012",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ014",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ103",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ104",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ203",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/INZ204",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/MIZ177",
"https://api.weather.gov/zones/forecast/MIZ277"
],
"references": [],
"sent": "2025-11-09T03:03:00-05:00",
"effective": "2025-11-09T03:03:00-05:00",
"onset": "2025-11-09T16:00:00-05:00",
"expires": "2025-11-09T03:18:52-05:00",
"ends": "2025-11-10T19:00:00-05:00",
"status": "Actual",
"messageType": "Alert",
"category": "Met",
"severity": "Severe",
"certainty": "Observed",
"urgency": "Past",
"event": "Winter Storm Watch",
"sender": "w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov",
"senderName": "NWS Northern Indiana",
"headline": "The Winter Storm Watch has been replaced. Please see the latest information from NWS Northern Indiana on this developing situation.",
"description": "The Winter Storm Watch has been replaced. Please see the latest information from NWS Northern Indiana on this developing situation.",
"instruction": "If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in\nyour vehicle in case of an emergency. The latest road conditions for\nthe state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1.\n\nDuring lake effect snow, the weather can vary from bands of locally\nheavy snow to dry weather just a few miles away. Visibilities can\nalso vary greatly. Be prepared for rapid changes in weather,\nvisibility, and road conditions.",
"response": "Monitor",
"parameters": {
"AWIPSidentifier": [
"WSWIWX"
],
"WMOidentifier": [
"WWUS43 KIWX 090803"
],
"NWSheadline": [
"WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM EST /10 AM CST/ THIS MORNING TO 7 PM EST /6 PM CST/ MONDAY"
],
"BLOCKCHANNEL": [
"EAS",
"NWEM",
"CMAS"
],
"EAS-ORG": [
"WXR"
],
"VTEC": [
"/O.UPG.KIWX.WS.A.0003.251109T2100Z-251111T0000Z/"
],
"eventEndingTime": [
"2025-11-10T19:00:00-05:00"
],
"expiredReferences": [
"w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov,urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.8ca41a9eec0244bfadf350ec7797e1e7c0fc78c0.002.1,2025-11-08T14:38:00-05:00 w-nws.webmaster@noaa.gov,urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.cec527f33ce9b5b3e69f71b02f9b2f7921cbd914.001.1,2025-11-08T02:46:00-05:00"
]
},
"scope": "Public",
"code": "IPAWSv1.0",
"language": "en-US",
"web": "http://www.weather.gov",
"eventCode": {
"SAME": [
"WSA"
],
"NationalWeatherService": [
"WSA"
]
}
}
}
],
"title": "Current watches, warnings, and advisories for Eastern St. Joseph (INZ104) IN",
"updated": "2025-11-09T13:00:00+00:00"
}

[sullynole]

The watch uses the UPG code and is labeled as past in CAP to show the watch that was upgraded. See directive here for details: https://www.weather.gov/media/directives/010_pdfs/pd01005013curr.pdf

[tmabell]

The directive doesn't refer directly to the API. It makes perfect sense that the full product as distributed would contain the disposition of the watch but to continue populating the API with a product that is no longer valid is questionable. Your point that the watch is marked in CAP as past should flip the switch in the API that would remove it. Keyword "Past". This is the point I am trying to articulate.

[sullynole]

That is how it is designed, otherwise the UPG would never be active.

[tmabell]

Thank you for your responses today. I've chosen to code around this in my alerts scripts as a way to solve my concern. I do think that at some point the design deserves further discussion because in my mind, UPG shouldn't remain active any more than CAN should remain active. "UPG" has a similar effect as "CAN". When a Winter Storm Warning is issued to replace a Watch, the Watch needs to be disposed of. UPG is a way to dispose of the watch while still continuing the threat. If the threat were diminished, CAN would be used to cancel the Watch. Both provide the same end result, the watch has ended. I hope this can be discussed further sometime in the future.

[dwhitemv25]

What API call are you making when you receive this data?

[tmabell]

I'm using https://api.weather.gov/alerts/active?zone=INZ104 FYI, the old, disposed of Watch is still there more than 36 hours after the Warning replaced it.

[jah1007]

From an API perspective this is in fact operating as designed. The problem lies in the data itself and not in the API. We are looking into the application that creates the data to see if there is a way to handle this case. Ultimately what is occurring is that there is no linkage in the transition from the watch to either an advisory or warning. This is why the UPG hangs around.