Python example using urllib, urllib2 and json to interface with the SL Mesonet API

mesonet_example.py

from urllib import urlencode
from urllib2 import Request, urlopen, URLError, HTTPError
import json

def fetch_data(service, parameters={}, debug=False):
    '''Calls the Mesonet API service and returns data as a dictionary'''
    baseurl = 'https://api.mesowest.net/v2/'
    _parameters = urlencode(parameters)

    payload = None  # Set default to None, so you can catch errors later
    req = Request(baseurl + service, _parameters)
    try:
        response = urlopen(req)
    except URLError as e:
        if hasattr(e, 'reason'):
            print 'We failed to reach a server Reason: ', e.reason
        elif hasattr(e, 'code'):
            print 'The server couldn\'t fulfill the request.  Error code: ', e.code
    else:
        # Looks like everything worked, so parse the JSON response and send it back to the user.
        print 'Payload\n: %s' % response.read() if debug else ''
        try:
            payload = json.loads(response.read())
        except:
            print 'JSON decode error.  More than likely a CSV response.'
            return

    return payload

if __name__ == "__main__":
    api_response = fetch_data('networks', {'token' : 'demotoken'})

    # To make sure it worked
    if api_response is not None:
        for item in api_response['SUMMARY']:
            print item, api_response['SUMMARY'][item]
    else:
        print 'Rhut Rhow!  There was a problem with the response and it could not be parsed.'

    # Now for the timeseries verificiation
    api_response = fetch_data(
        'stations/timeseries',
        {
            'token' : 'demotoken',
            'stid': 'KSLC',
            'start': 199701010000,
            'end': 201506020000,
            'vars': 'wind_speed'
        },
        debug=True
    )

    # To make sure it worked
    if api_response is not None:
        for item in api_response['SUMMARY']:
            print item, api_response['SUMMARY'][item]
    else:
        print 'Rhut Rhow!  There was a problem with the response and it could not be parsed.'