# NOAA STOFS MCP Server (pypi · stofs-mcp)

NOAA STOFS storm surge forecasts, observation validation, and OPeNDAP data

- Trust score: 77/100 (medium)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-10-04

## Components

- pypi · `stofs-mcp`: 77/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp/stofs-mcp.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp/stofs-mcp)

## Channel facts

- Registry: `pypi`
- Package: `stofs-mcp`
- Version: `0.2.0`
- Transport: `stdio`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically from public evidence about the published package, including repeated runs of it in an isolated sandbox, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-10-04.

- **Supply Chain Security**: 100/100
  - No malware found by supply-chain analysis.
  - No known CVEs affecting this package version or its production dependencies.
  - Runs hatchling.build at install time, a recognised build step with no custom scripting around it.
  - 2 of 37 dependencies flagged as unhealthy.
- **Provenance & Transparency**: 100/100
  - Source repository is publicly reachable at the declared URL.
  - Cryptographically verified build provenance (signed, bound to oceanmodeling/ocean-mcp).
  - Clear OSI-approved license (MIT).
  - Actively maintained (last published 2 days ago).
  - Publishes a security disclosure policy (SECURITY.md).
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 62/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (excellent).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 1911 tokens (~238/item across 8 items; 8 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 0/100
  - Stability not yet verified: not enough scan history yet (needs a 30-day window).
- **Tool Coverage**: 71/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 0% of tool parameters carry a description.
  - Structured output schemas are declared (100% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.
- **Tool Safety**: 100/100
  - No prompt-injection markers were found in the server instructions, tool names or descriptions we captured.
  - We read all 8 captured tool definition(s), and no name or description among them implies an irreversible operation.
  - An AI judge read all 8 captured unit(s) of tool text and found none that tries to manipulate the model reading it.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.

**Unverified: 1 category.** A category scored 0 because we could not verify it: a data source with nothing on this package, evidence we could not reach, or a check we could not run. We only credit what we can confirm.

## Install

### How do I install the NOAA STOFS MCP Server server?

NOAA STOFS MCP Server runs locally as a PyPI package, launched with uvx stofs-mcp. Ready-made configuration for Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and 5 more is on this page, copied from each client's own documentation.

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp -- uvx stofs-mcp
```

### Cursor

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "stofs-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### VS Code

```json
{
  "servers": {
    "oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "stofs-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Codex

```bash
codex mcp add oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp -- uvx stofs-mcp
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": [
        "uvx",
        "stofs-mcp"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp --command uvx --arg stofs-mcp
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp:
    command: "uvx"
    args: ["stofs-mcp"]
```

### Netclaw

```json
{
  "McpServers": {
    "oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp": {
      "Transport": "stdio",
      "Command": "uvx",
      "Arguments": [
        "stofs-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

### Vellum

```bash
assistant mcp add oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp -t stdio -c uvx -a stofs-mcp
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "stofs-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}
```

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-10-02 (score 77, +15)

- [security improvement] Malware scan: unverified → pass

### 2026-10-01 (score 62)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (8)

### `stofs_list_cycles` (~134 tokens)

List available STOFS forecast cycles on AWS S3 for a given date range.

Checks AWS S3 for available station NetCDF files to determine which
forecast cycles have been published.

Args:
    model: 'two_global' (4x daily, global) or '3d_atlantic' (1x daily, US East/Gulf).
    date: Specific date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: today UTC.
    num_days: Number of past days to check (1–7). Default: 2.

Input parameters:

- `date`
- `model`
- `num_days` (integer)

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_get_system_info` (~84 tokens)

Get STOFS system metadata — model specifications, datums, cycle schedule.

Args:
    model: '2d_global', '3d_atlantic', or None for both. Default: None.
    include_stations: If True, include the full station registry. Default: False.

Input parameters:

- `include_stations` (boolean)
- `model`

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_list_stations` (~226 tokens)

List STOFS output stations, optionally filtered by location, state, or region.

Uses the built-in station registry (~50 key CO-OPS stations). For the
complete dynamic list, the station NetCDF file must be downloaded.

Args:
    model: '2d_global' or '3d_atlantic'.
    near_lat: Filter to stations near this latitude.
    near_lon: Filter to stations near this longitude.
    radius_km: Search radius in km when near_lat/near_lon provided (default 100).
    state: Filter by US state abbreviation (e.g., 'NY', 'FL').
    region: Filter by region ('east_coast', 'gulf', 'west_coast', 'alaska', 'hawaii', 'puerto_rico').
    limit: Max stations to return (default 20).

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer)
- `model`
- `near_lat`
- `near_lon`
- `radius_km` (number)
- `region`
- `state`

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_get_station_forecast` (~251 tokens)

Get STOFS water level forecast time series at a specific CO-OPS station.

Downloads the station NetCDF file from AWS S3 (~2–10 MB) and extracts
the full forecast time series for the specified station.

Args:
    station_id: CO-OPS station ID (e.g., '8518750' for The Battery, NY).
    model: '2d_global' (global, 4x daily) or '3d_atlantic' (US East/Gulf, 1x daily).
    product: 'cwl' (combined), 'htp' (tidal only), 'swl' (surge only).
             Note: 3D-Atlantic only supports 'cwl'.
    cycle_date: Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: latest available.
    cycle_hour: Cycle hour '00', '06', '12', '18'. Default: latest available.
    response_format: 'markdown' (default) or 'json'.

Input parameters:

- `cycle_date`
- `cycle_hour`
- `model`
- `product`
- `response_format` (string)
- `station_id` (string, required)

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_get_point_forecast` (~227 tokens)

Get STOFS forecast at an arbitrary lat/lon by finding the nearest station.

Downloads the station file and finds the closest STOFS output point to
the requested location.

Args:
    latitude: Target latitude in decimal degrees.
    longitude: Target longitude in decimal degrees.
    model: '2d_global' or '3d_atlantic'.
    product: 'cwl', 'htp', or 'swl' (3D only supports 'cwl').
    cycle_date: Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: latest.
    cycle_hour: Cycle hour '00', '06', '12', '18'. Default: latest.
    max_distance_km: Maximum search radius to nearest station (default 50 km).
    response_format: 'markdown' or 'json'.

Input parameters:

- `cycle_date`
- `cycle_hour`
- `latitude` (number, required)
- `longitude` (number, required)
- `max_distance_km` (number)
- `model`
- `product`
- `response_format` (string)

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_get_max_water_level` (~192 tokens)

Get the stations with the highest predicted water levels in a STOFS cycle.

Computes the maximum water level across all forecast timesteps for each
station, then returns the top N sorted by peak value. Uses station files
(not the large gridded maxele file).

Args:
    model: '2d_global' or '3d_atlantic'.
    cycle_date: Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: latest.
    cycle_hour: Cycle hour. Default: latest.
    top_n: Number of top stations to return (default 20).
    region: Optional region filter ('east_coast', 'gulf', etc.).
    response_format: 'markdown' or 'json'.

Input parameters:

- `cycle_date`
- `cycle_hour`
- `model`
- `region`
- `response_format` (string)
- `top_n` (integer)

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_get_gridded_forecast` (~435 tokens)

[CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE — NOMADS OPeNDAP retired Oct 2025, NWS SCN 25-81] Get STOFS forecast at any lat/lon from the regular gridded product via OPeNDAP.

Unlike stofs_get_station_forecast (limited to ~385 fixed CO-OPS stations),
this tool queries the STOFS regular-grid product interpolated onto structured
lat/lon grids and served via NOMADS OPeNDAP. Only the requested grid cell
is downloaded — no large file transfer required.

Coverage: US East Coast, Gulf, West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam.
Resolution: ~2.5 km (conus/hawaii/guam), ~1.25 km (Puerto Rico), ~6 km (Alaska).

Note: NOMADS OPeNDAP was RETIRED in October 2025 (NWS Service Change Notice
25-81), so this tool currently returns a retirement notice rather than data.
Use stofs_get_point_forecast / stofs_get_station_forecast instead (station-
based, reliable AWS S3). It is kept so the retirement is reported clearly,
and so it resumes working automatically if NOMADS ever restores the service.

Args:
    latitude: Target latitude in decimal degrees.
    longitude: Target longitude in decimal degrees.
    model: '2d_global' or '3d_atlantic'.
    variable: OPeNDAP variable name. Auto-detected if None.
              Common names: 'etcwlsfc' (combined WL), 'etsrgsfc' (surge only).
    cycle_date: Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: latest available.
    cycle_hour: Cycle hour '00', '06', '12', '18'. Default: latest.
    response_format: 'markdown' or 'json'.

Input parameters:

- `cycle_date`
- `cycle_hour`
- `latitude` (number, required)
- `longitude` (number, required)
- `model`
- `response_format` (string)
- `variable`

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

### `stofs_compare_with_observations` (~362 tokens)

Compare STOFS forecast against CO-OPS observed water levels at a station.

Downloads the STOFS station file, fetches CO-OPS observations for the
overlapping period, and aligns the two series. The response leads with a
summary — observed and forecast peak (value and time), peak error, peak
timing error, bias, RMSE — followed by the aligned series. Statistics always
use every 6-minute point; the returned series is hourly unless
full_resolution is set.

The comparison window starts at the beginning of the station file, which is
the nowcast 6 hours before the cycle time. To cover an event N hours after
the cycle time, set hours_to_compare to at least N + 6.

Args:
    station_id: CO-OPS station ID (e.g., '8518750' for The Battery, NY).
    model: '2d_global' or '3d_atlantic'.
    cycle_date: Date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Default: latest.
    cycle_hour: Cycle hour '00', '06', '12', '18'. Default: latest.
    hours_to_compare: Hours from the start of the file (default 24, max 96).
    full_resolution: Return every 6-minute point instead of hourly points.
    max_points: Maximum series points to return (default 2000).
    response_format: 'markdown' or 'json'.

Input parameters:

- `cycle_date`
- `cycle_hour`
- `full_resolution` (boolean)
- `hours_to_compare` (integer)
- `max_points` (integer)
- `model`
- `response_format` (string)
- `station_id` (string, required)

Output parameters:

- `result` (string)

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: Provenance, Install scripts, Dependencies. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp/stofs-mcp#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-10-04: 77
- 2026-10-03: 77
- 2026-10-02: 77
- 2026-10-01: 62

## Common questions

### What is the NOAA STOFS MCP Server server?

NOAA STOFS MCP Server is listed in the public MCP registry as io.github.oceanmodeling/stofs-mcp. NOAA STOFS storm surge forecasts, observation validation, and OPeNDAP data. This page covers its PyPI package (stofs-mcp).

### Is the NOAA STOFS MCP Server server safe to use?

NOAA STOFS MCP Server scores 77 out of 100 on VerifyMCP. We found no known CVEs affecting it as of 4 October 2026. Its build provenance is signed and verified. That is a record of what we were able to check automatically, not an endorsement. The category breakdown on this page shows every signal behind the number, including the ones we could not confirm.

### What tools does the NOAA STOFS MCP Server server expose?

NOAA STOFS MCP Server exposes 8 tools: stofs_list_cycles, stofs_get_system_info, stofs_list_stations, stofs_get_station_forecast, stofs_get_point_forecast, and 3 more. Their descriptions and schemas cost roughly 1,911 tokens of context every time the server is loaded.

### Is the NOAA STOFS MCP Server server still maintained?

NOAA STOFS MCP Server is still listed as active in the MCP registry. We last reached this channel on 4 October 2026. Those dates come from our own scans of the registry and the channel itself, not from anything the publisher announced.

### What licence is the NOAA STOFS MCP Server server under?

NOAA STOFS MCP Server declares the MIT licence, which is OSI-approved. That covers the source only, and says nothing about the cost of any service it calls.

## Links

- PyPI project: https://pypi.org/project/stofs-mcp/
- Socket report: https://socket.dev/pypi/package/stofs-mcp
- Repository: https://github.com/oceanmodeling/ocean-mcp
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp/stofs-mcp.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp/stofs-mcp.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/oceanmodeling-stofs-mcp/stofs-mcp