Topic: NWS Weather Forecasts No Longer Updating

[Bunty]

What's gone wrong?  The NWS weather forecasts selectable  in drop down menu have not automatically updated since April 14.  Also the weather forecast for my local, Stillwater, may be showing signs of lagging.  Page in question here:  http://stillwaterweather.com/fivedaywxforecast.php

[Jáchym]

It shows this:

Code: [Select]

Network error: Connection timed out (110) --><!-- loading http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=35.2300&lon=-101.700&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2
But when I tried the URL it works fine. Im sure Ken will know what the problem could be. I think it is something with the communication between your server and the NWS.

[Curly]

Check the links to the forecast. I don't think the printable forecast link is being used.
Looks like this is in the settings for Tulsa:

Code: [Select]

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Tulsa&state=OK&site=MTR&textField1=36.0400&textField2=-95.980&e=0&TextType=2
This is the corrected URL when viewing the page source:

Code: [Select]

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.0400&lon=-95.980&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2

Checking the URL's:

Code: [Select]

//URL below --MUST BE-- the Printable Point Forecast from the NOAA website
//
//Not every area of the US has a printable point forecast
//
//This script will ONLY WORK with a printable point forecast!
//
//To find yours in your area:
//
//Go to www.weather.gov
//Put your city, state in the search box and press Search
//Scroll down to the "Additional Forecasts & Info" on the page displayed
//Click on Printable Forecast
// copy the URL from your browser into the $fileName variable below.



[Intheswamp]

NWS did "something".  I ran into this problem a couple of weeks ago and Ken pointed out that the point forecast wasn't being found.  This was happening to several locations also in the drop-down menu.  I went back and recopied the URL for the desired point forecasts and things started working better.  I still had a short-lived problem of the forecasts taking on the name of the forecast below them (I haven't mentioned this) but that eventually (within a hour) sorted itself out...I spent more time trying to fix the name issue than getting the new URL for the forecast working.

Recopy the URL and paste it in your code and see what happened.  "Something" changed...but I'm pretty certain not on your side.

My short thread about this... http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=29142.msg284919#msg284919

[Bunty]

The city forecasts on the drop menu on this page still are NOT updating.  One forecast goes clear back to April 19 with Amarillo.  I believe I'm using printable forecasts, so don't know what's wrong.  http://stillwaterweather.com/fivedaywxforecast.php

[Intheswamp]

Try this URL, Bunty.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=35.2192&lon=-101.7063&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2

ETA:  It's for the printable forecast for Amarillo at the the Rick...Airport.  See if it works when you use it in the drop down menu.

ETA again:  Maybe the NWS is "fine tuning" some of their coordinates?

[Bunty]

Try this URL, Bunty.

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=35.2192&lon=-101.7063&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2

ETA:  It's for the printable forecast for Amarillo at the the Rick...Airport.  See if it works when you use it in the drop down menu.

ETA again:  Maybe the NWS is "fine tuning" some of their coordinates?

Thanks, but it still shows the well out of date forecast for Amarillo. All other cities aren't up to date in drop down menu.    Is anybody else having similar problems?  If not, I would speculate my server host is not using a compatible php version.  http://stillwaterweather.com/fivedaywxforecast.php

[Intheswamp]

I see what you're talking about.  I pulled up the source code for the Kansas City forecast page (dated April 21) and then followed its link to the source code of the current forecast...the time and date in it are current.  So the linking appears correct but the server is hung up on an old report...somehow.    I wish I could help, but I'm php/computer challenged.  Hopefully someone will come along soon that shed some light on what's going on!!!

Ed

[saratogaWX]

The issue is

<!-- advforecast2.php (multi) - V4.02 - 07-Nov-2015 -->
<!-- NWS URL: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.1156&lon=-97.0584&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2 -->
<!-- zone=OKZ020 -->
<!-- Network error: Connection timed out (110) -->
<!-- loading http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.1156&lon=-97.0584&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2 - 8803 bytes -->
<!-- loading ./forecast-OKZ020-0.txt - 8803 bytes -->

Your webserver is timing out connecting to forecast.weather.gov so you aren't getting an update.. the last successful load/cache is being displayed.

Talk to your tech support about the timeout connecting to forecast.weather.gov...

[Bunty]

The issue is

<!-- advforecast2.php (multi) - V4.02 - 07-Nov-2015 -->
<!-- NWS URL: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.1156&lon=-97.0584&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2 -->
<!-- zone=OKZ020 -->
<!-- Network error: Connection timed out (110) -->
<!-- loading http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.1156&lon=-97.0584&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2 - 8803 bytes -->
<!-- loading ./forecast-OKZ020-0.txt - 8803 bytes -->

Your webserver is timing out connecting to forecast.weather.gov so you aren't getting an update.. the last successful load/cache is being displayed.

Talk to your tech support about the timeout connecting to forecast.weather.gov...

I contacted my host and the response didn't make much sense to me, this non-expert:

"We can see that the domain name forecast.weather.gov is not pointing to our server.

You need to contact particular hosting service provider to connect to that domain name."

[ALITTLEweird1]

Who's your webhost?

[Bunty]

Who's your webhost?

KVChosting.com, and is who I contacted.

[saratogaWX]

The issue is

<!-- advforecast2.php (multi) - V4.02 - 07-Nov-2015 -->
<!-- NWS URL: http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.1156&lon=-97.0584&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2 -->
<!-- zone=OKZ020 -->
<!-- Network error: Connection timed out (110) -->
<!-- loading http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=36.1156&lon=-97.0584&unit=0&lg=english&FcstType=text&TextType=2 - 8803 bytes -->
<!-- loading ./forecast-OKZ020-0.txt - 8803 bytes -->

Your webserver is timing out connecting to forecast.weather.gov so you aren't getting an update.. the last successful load/cache is being displayed.

Talk to your tech support about the timeout connecting to forecast.weather.gov...

I contacted my host and the response didn't make much sense to me, this non-expert:

"We can see that the domain name forecast.weather.gov is not pointing to our server.

You need to contact particular hosting service provider to connect to that domain name."

Oooo... I really hate it when first level support fails to understand the problem, and cites the owner of the URL's server as the issue.
Grrrr...

Ask them to logon via SSH to the server hosting your website.
Run

wget -d http://forecast.weather.gov/

and see that it fails.. that failure is what THEY need to fix on THEIR server.

they can also run

traceroute forecast.weather.gov

to see if they have a path to the forecast.weather.gov server(s)

[Bunty]

Thanks, Ken.  My host's junior system engineer said they are checking on this issue with a senior admin.