MCP Weather Server - Production Deployment Guide

Deploy the MCP weather server to Render.com and integrate with Claude Web for live weather data in AI conversations.

Prerequisites

Development:

• Node.js 18+ (tested with v22.17.1)
• npm or equivalent package manager

Deployment:

• Render.com account to host MCP Server (free tier available)
• GitHub repository (public) to host this code (accessed by Render)

Testing and Use:

• Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan (for custom connectors)

Deployment Process

1. Push Weather Server to GitHub

Ensure your weather-render branch is pushed to GitHub:

git add -A
git commit -m "Add production configuration for weather server deployment"
git push origin weather-render

2. Deploy to Render.com

Create New Web Service

1. Go to Render.com and sign in
2. Click "New +" → "Web Service"
3. Connect your GitHub repository: your-username/mcp-typescript-sdk
4. Select branch: weather-render

Service Configuration

• Name: mcp-weather-server (or your preferred name)
• Root Directory: Leave blank
• Environment: Node
• Region: Choose closest to your location
• Branch: weather-render
• Build Command: npm install && npm run build
• Start Command: npm start

Environment Variables (Optional)

The weather server uses sensible defaults, but you can customize:

• NODE_ENV: production (automatically set by Render)
• MCP_AUTH_PORT: Custom auth port (optional)

3. Verify Deployment

Health Check

Once deployed, verify at your Render URL:

https://your-weather-app.onrender.com/

Expected Response:

{
  "status": "healthy",
  "service": "mcp-weather-server",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "transport": "streamable-http",
  "endpoints": {
    "mcp": "/mcp"
  },
  "weather": {
    "source": "US National Weather Service",
    "coverage": "United States",
    "tools": ["get-alerts", "get-forecast"]
  }
}

MCP Endpoint

Your weather server MCP endpoint:

https://your-weather-app.onrender.com/mcp

Test with curl:

curl -X POST https://mcp-typescript-sdk.onrender.com/mcp \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json, text/event-stream" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "initialize", "params": {"protocolVersion": "2024-11-05", "capabilities": {}, "clientInfo": {"name": "test", "version": "1.0.0"}}}'

Expected response:

event: message
id: 55b5fa4a-9c54-4356-bdec-d6e0345d9eef_1755831917468_eznt0ncr
data: {"result":{"protocolVersion":"2024-11-05","capabilities":{"tools":{"listChanged":true},"prompts":{"listChanged":true},"completions":{},"resources":{"listChanged":true}},"serverInfo":{"name":"simple-streamable-http-server","version":"1.0.0"}},"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1}

Claude Web Integration

Configure Weather Server Connector

1. Navigate to Claude Web:

   • Go to https://claude.ai
   • Click Settings → Connectors

2. Add Custom Connector:

   • Click "Add custom connector" (bottom of Connectors section)
   • Server URL: https://your-weather-app.onrender.com/mcp
   • Click "Add"

3. Test Connection:

   • Should show "Connected" status
   • Connector appears in your connectors list

Test Weather Tools with Claude Web

1. Start New Conversation:

   • Click "Search and tools" button (lower left)
   • Enable your weather server connector

2. Test get-alerts Tool:

   "Are there any weather alerts for California?"
   "Check for severe weather warnings in Texas"
   "What weather alerts are active in Florida?"
   

3. Test get-forecast Tool:

   "What's the weather forecast for San Francisco?" (37.7749, -122.4194)
   "Get the 7-day forecast for New York City" (40.7128, -74.0060)
   "Weather forecast for Denver, Colorado" (39.7392, -104.9903)
   "What's the weather like in Miami?" (25.7617, -80.1918)
   

4. Test Error Handling:

   "Get weather alerts for London" (should explain US-only coverage)
   "Weather forecast for Paris, France" (coordinates outside US)
   

Expected Claude Web Behavior

Successful Weather Alerts

Claude should return formatted responses like:

🌪️ **Active Weather Alerts for CA** (3 alerts found)

🚨 **HIGH WIND WARNING**
📍 Area: Northeast Siskiyou and Northwest Modoc Counties
⏰ Effective: 1/15/2024, 10:00:00 AM PST
⌛ Expires: 1/15/2024, 10:00:00 PM PST
🔴 Severity: Severe
📋 High Wind Warning until TUE 10 PM PST...

Successful Weather Forecasts

Claude should return formatted responses like:

🌤️ **7-Day Weather Forecast**
📍 Location: 37.7749°N, 122.4194°W
🏢 NWS Office: San Francisco Bay Area

**Today - Monday**
⛅ Partly Cloudy
🌡️ High: 72°F
💨 Wind: W 10-15 mph
📝 Partly cloudy with temperatures in the low 70s...

**Tonight**
🌙 Clear
🌡️ Low: 58°F
💨 Wind: W 5-10 mph
📝 Clear skies with overnight lows in the upper 50s...

Production Considerations

Performance & Reliability

• Free Tier: May spin down after 15 minutes of inactivity
• Cold Start: First request after spin-down may take 30-60 seconds
• Uptime: Consider upgrading to paid plan for production use
• Rate Limiting: NWS API allows ~300 requests/hour

Monitoring & Debugging

• Health Endpoint: Monitor / for service status
• Render Logs: View weather server logs in Render dashboard
• API Errors: Weather tools include comprehensive error messages
• Network Issues: Tools handle timeouts and API unavailability

Security & Best Practices

• HTTPS: Automatically provided by Render.com
• CORS: Configured to accept requests from claude.ai
• API Keys: No API keys required (using public NWS API)
• Rate Limiting: Built-in request timeouts and error handling

Troubleshooting

Deployment Issues

• Build Failures: Check Node.js version (18+) and dependencies
• Start Failures: Verify npm start points to correct weather server file
• Port Binding: Ensure server reads process.env.PORT correctly

Claude Web Connection Issues

• Connection Failed: Verify health check endpoint is accessible
• Tools Not Available: Check connector is enabled in conversation
• CORS Errors: Ensure server accepts requests from claude.ai domain

Weather Data Issues

• No Alerts: Some states may have no active weather alerts (normal)
• Forecast Unavailable: Coordinates may be outside US coverage area
• API Timeouts: National Weather Service API may be temporarily slow

Common Solutions

• 503 Service Unavailable: Weather server may be spinning up (free tier)
• Invalid Coordinates: Verify coordinates are within US (lat: 24-71°N, lon: 170-65°W)
• Connection Timeout: Try again after a few moments

Usage Examples

Real-World Claude Web Conversations

Example 1: Travel Planning

User: "I'm planning a trip to San Francisco this weekend. What's the weather forecast?"
Claude: [Uses get-forecast tool with SF coordinates, returns 7-day forecast]

User: "Are there any weather alerts I should know about in California?"
Claude: [Uses get-alerts tool for CA, returns any active alerts]

Example 2: Emergency Preparedness

User: "Check for severe weather warnings in Florida and Texas"
Claude: [Uses get-alerts tool for both FL and TX, compares alerts]

User: "What's the weather forecast for Miami coordinates 25.7617, -80.1918?"
Claude: [Uses get-forecast tool, returns detailed Miami forecast]

Example 3: Multi-Location Comparison

User: "Compare weather forecasts for Denver and Seattle"
Claude: [Uses get-forecast tool for both cities, presents comparison]