# General information

AccuWeather's Weather Alarms API surfaces forecast-based alarms for any location worldwide. An alarm fires when the daily forecast meets or exceeds a defined threshold — useful for triggering notifications, automating crew dispatch, or driving threshold-aware UI states.

Alarms are derived from AccuWeather's daily forecasts (not government-issued warnings). For severe weather warnings from official agencies, see the [Alerts API](/developers/alerts/general).

→ See the [Weather Alarms Guide](/developers/weather-alarms/guide) and [Parameters](/developers/weather-alarms/parameters) for endpoint details and request patterns.

## Alarm thresholds

| Alarm | Imperial threshold | Metric threshold |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Rain** | 0.5 inch | 12.7 mm |
| **Snow** | 1 inch | 2.54 cm |
| **Ice** | 0.1 inch | 0.254 mm |
| **Sustained Wind** | 30 mph | 48 kph |
| **Wind Gust** | 40 mph | 64 kph |
| **Thunderstorm Probability** | 75% | 75% |

## Forecast windows

Daily alarms can be retrieved for **1, 5, 10, 15, or 25 days** ahead.

## Requirements

Alarm searches require a **LocationKey**. Use the [Locations API](/developers/locations/guide) to look one up.