How to Add Weather Data into Microsoft Word

February 10, 2026

Microsoft Word can include weather tables and charts that are linked to data retrieved from the Visual Crossing Weather API.

The most reliable modern workflow is to:

Load Visual Crossing weather data into Microsoft Excel.
Create a weather table or chart in Excel.
Link that content into Microsoft Word.
Refresh the weather data in Excel when needed.
Update the linked content in Word.

This approach keeps data retrieval and transformation in Excel while Word is used to create the final report.

The Visual Crossing Weather API provides historical weather, current conditions, and forecast weather data that can be loaded into Excel.

If you prefer to explore or download weather data without writing code, see Visual Crossing Weather Data.

To get started, sign up for a free Visual Crossing account.

Why use Excel with Word?

Microsoft Word is designed primarily for documents and reports, while Excel is better suited to retrieving, transforming, and refreshing external data.

Using Excel as the weather-data source gives you:

Power Query support
Data transformation tools
Tables
Charts
Formula support
Refreshable external data connections

Word can then display the resulting weather data as:

Linked charts
Linked tables
Embedded content
Static pictures

For reports that need to be updated regularly, linking Excel content into Word is usually the most useful approach.

Step 1 – Load weather data into Excel

First create an Excel workbook containing the weather data that you want to use in your report.

For a simple CSV workflow, see:

How to Load Weather Data into Microsoft Excel Using a Web Query Data Connection

For a more flexible Power Query workflow using JSON, parameters, and secure Web API credentials, see:

Import Weather API JSON into Excel Using Power Query

For example, your Excel workbook might contain:

Date          Max Temp    Min Temp    Precip    Conditions
2026-08-21       84.2        65.1      0.00     Partially cloudy
2026-08-22       82.5        66.4      0.12     Rain
2026-08-23       79.7        64.9      0.48     Rain
2026-08-24       81.3        63.8      0.05     Clear

The exact fields depend on the type of document you are creating.

Step 2 – Decide whether you need a table or chart

Weather data can be presented in Word in several ways.

Use a table when you need exact values

For example:

Date	High	Low	Precipitation	Conditions
Aug 21	84.2	65.1	0.00	Partially cloudy
Aug 22	82.5	66.4	0.12	Rain
Aug 23	79.7	64.9	0.48	Rain

Tables work well for:

Technical reports
Weather summaries
Historical analysis
Incident reports
Research documents

Use a chart when you need visualization

For example, a line chart can display:

Daily Maximum Temperature
Daily Minimum Temperature

while a column chart can show:

Daily Precipitation

Charts work well for:

Executive reports
Project reports
Weather summaries
Research papers
Operations reports

Step 3 – Create the chart or table in Excel

For a chart:

Select the weather data.
Open the Insert tab.
Choose a chart type.
Format the chart as desired.

For example, select:

Date
Max Temp
Min Temp

and create a line chart.

For a table, simply format the retrieved weather data as an Excel table.

Using an Excel Table is especially useful because Power Query can load refreshed data directly into it.

Step 4 – Save the Excel workbook

Save the Excel workbook before linking it to Word.

For example:

WeatherReportData.xlsx

The workbook must remain accessible if you want the Word document to continue updating from it.

The workbook can be stored:

Locally
On a network share
In OneDrive or another supported shared location

If the workbook is moved, renamed, or deleted, the Word link may stop working.

Step 5 – Copy the Excel chart into Word

In Excel:

Select the chart.
Right-click and select Copy.

Or use:

Ctrl+C

Open Word and place the cursor where you want the chart to appear.

Paste the chart.

Word provides several paste options.

Microsoft currently supports options including:

Use Destination Theme & Link Data

and:

Keep Source Formatting & Link Data

The important choice is:

Link Data

This keeps the chart connected to the original Excel workbook. When the Excel source changes, the chart in Word can be updated.

Linked versus embedded charts

When copying an Excel chart into Word, you can choose different behaviors.

Linked chart

A linked chart keeps a connection to the original Excel workbook.

The workflow becomes:

Visual Crossing Weather API
          ↓
     Excel Power Query
          ↓
       Excel chart
          ↓
      Linked Word chart

This is useful when the report will be updated repeatedly.

Embedded chart

An embedded chart stores a copy of the Excel workbook data inside the Word document.

The chart can still be edited, but it is no longer dependent on the original Excel workbook.

Use this when you need a self-contained Word document.

Picture

You can also paste the chart as an image.

This produces a completely static copy.

Use this when:

The report is final.
The weather data should not change.
The recipient does not need access to the Excel workbook.

Step 6 – Copy an Excel weather table into Word

You can also copy weather rows directly from Excel.

Select the cells in Excel and copy them.

When pasting into Word, choose the option that best matches your requirements.

You can:

Paste as a normal Word table.
Keep Excel formatting.
Link the data to Excel.
Paste as a picture.

For a report that needs regular updates, linked Excel content can be useful.

For a report that will be distributed as a final document, a normal Word table or static copy is often simpler.

Step 7 – Refresh the weather data

When you need updated weather data, open the Excel workbook.

Use:

Data → Refresh All

Excel will rerun the Power Query or web query and retrieve updated Visual Crossing data.

The Excel table and any charts based on that data will then reflect the refreshed results.

Step 8 – Update the content in Word

After refreshing and saving the Excel workbook, return to Word.

Linked charts can update from their source Excel data.

Microsoft documents that charts in Word can use data from the original Excel worksheet, and changes made in that worksheet can be reflected in the chart.

Depending on your version of Word and how the content was pasted, you may be able to update the link from the chart or through Word’s link-management tools.

Example: Create a forecast report

Suppose you are preparing a weekly operational report.

Your Excel query retrieves:

datetime
tempmax
tempmin
precip
precipprob
windspeed
conditions

Your Word document could contain:

Weekly Weather Forecast

A table such as:

Date	High	Low	Rain Chance	Conditions
Friday	84°F	65°F	10%	Partially cloudy
Saturday	82°F	66°F	55%	Rain
Sunday	80°F	65°F	70%	Rain

Followed by:

Temperature Forecast

A linked Excel line chart showing daily high and low temperatures.

Precipitation Outlook

A linked chart showing precipitation probability or expected precipitation.

Each week you can refresh the Excel workbook and update the linked Word content.

Create the Weather API request

The Visual Crossing Timeline Weather API uses this basic structure:

/timeline/[location]/[date1]/[date2]

For a forecast, dates can be omitted.

For example:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/London,UK?unitGroup=metric&include=days&key=YOUR_API_KEY

To reduce the response to only the fields needed for the report:

elements=datetime,tempmax,tempmin,precip,precipprob,conditions

For example:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/London,UK?unitGroup=metric&include=days&elements=datetime,tempmax,tempmin,precip,precipprob,conditions&key=YOUR_API_KEY

For the complete API reference, see the Timeline Weather API documentation.

Use historical weather in a Word report

The same workflow works for historical weather.

For example:

https://weather.visualcrossing.com/VisualCrossingWebServices/rest/services/timeline/London,UK/2026-07-01/2026-07-31?unitGroup=metric&include=days&key=YOUR_API_KEY

This can be useful for reports containing:

Historical temperature
Precipitation totals
Snowfall
Wind conditions
Humidity
Solar data
Weather events

Examples include:

Insurance reports
Construction documentation
Research reports
Agricultural analysis
Event reports
Transportation reports

Use current conditions

You can also retrieve the latest available weather conditions.

Use:

include=current

Current conditions are returned in:

currentConditions

and can contain fields such as:

temp
feelslike
humidity
windspeed
conditions

Excel Power Query can convert these values into a small table that can be linked into Word.

Use worksheet parameters

A useful design is to put request parameters into worksheet cells.

For example:

Parameter	Value
Location	London, UK
StartDate	2026-08-01
EndDate	2026-08-07
UnitGroup	metric

Power Query can read these values when constructing the Weather API request.

You can then change:

London, UK

to:

Paris, France

refresh the workbook, and generate the same report for another location.

For a parameterized Power Query example, see Import Weather API JSON into Excel Using Power Query.

API key security

The Visual Crossing Weather API requires an API key.

If the full request URL is stored directly inside an Excel workbook, a user who receives that workbook may be able to see the key.

Treat your API key as a credential.

For Power Query, a better approach is to use its Web API credential support with:

ApiKeyName = "key"

rather than placing the key directly in the M query.

See Import Weather API JSON into Excel Using Power Query for details.

A linked Word document depends on its source Excel workbook.

If you send:

WeatherReport.docx

to another user without giving that user access to:

WeatherReportData.xlsx

the linked content may not be refreshable.

Before distributing the report, decide whether the recipient needs:

A refreshable report
An editable report
A fixed final report

If the report is final, a static table or picture may be more appropriate.

If the recipient needs to refresh the weather, provide access to the Excel workbook as well.

Use Word for a final static weather report

Not every Word document needs live or refreshable data.

A common workflow is:

Retrieve weather in Excel
        ↓
Analyze and verify data
        ↓
Create chart/table
        ↓
Paste into Word
        ↓
Finalize report

In this case, use an embedded table, embedded chart, or picture rather than maintaining a link.

This makes the Word document independent of the Excel source.

Word reports versus PowerPoint presentations

The same general Excel workflow can be used with both Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

Use Word when you need:

Written analysis
Formal reports
Research papers
Documentation
Detailed tables
Printed reports

Use PowerPoint when you need:

Presentations
Dashboards
Briefings
Visual summaries

For PowerPoint, see How to Add Weather Data into Microsoft PowerPoint.

Common uses for weather data in Word

Research reports

Combine historical weather statistics with written analysis.

Insurance and claims reports

Document weather conditions associated with a location and date.

Construction reports

Include precipitation, wind, temperature, or snow conditions during a project.

Agricultural reports

Show temperature, rainfall, solar, or other agricultural weather information.

Event reports

Document historical or forecast weather associated with an event.

Business reporting

Combine business performance and weather data in a recurring report.

Troubleshooting

The chart in Word does not update

Verify that:

Excel has refreshed the Weather API data.
The Excel chart contains the latest data.
The workbook has been saved.
Word can still access the Excel workbook.
The Word content was pasted using a linked-data option.

The Word link is broken

Check whether the source Excel workbook:

Was moved
Was renamed
Was deleted
Is on an unavailable network drive
Is in a cloud location you cannot access

Excel does not refresh the weather

Check:

API key
Location
Date range
Power Query credentials
Weather API URL
HTTP response
Account limits

For API problems, see Weather API HTTP Error Codes.

The report contains old forecast data

Refresh the Excel workbook first.

Word can only update from the data currently stored in its linked Excel source.

Summary

The recommended way to add refreshable Visual Crossing weather data to Microsoft Word is:

Retrieve the weather data in Excel using Power Query.
Create the required table or chart in Excel.
Save the workbook.
Copy the content into Word.
Use a Link Data paste option if the report should remain connected to Excel.
Refresh the weather query in Excel when needed.
Update the linked Word content.

This provides a clean separation between weather-data retrieval and report creation.

Excel handles the Weather API connection and data processing, while Word handles formatting, writing, and document distribution.

For a complete Excel data-loading example, see Import Weather API JSON into Excel Using Power Query.

For complete Weather API details, see the Timeline Weather API documentation.

How to Add Weather Data into Microsoft Word

Why use Excel with Word?

Step 1 – Load weather data into Excel

Step 2 – Decide whether you need a table or chart

Use a table when you need exact values

Use a chart when you need visualization

Step 3 – Create the chart or table in Excel

Step 4 – Save the Excel workbook

Step 5 – Copy the Excel chart into Word

Linked versus embedded charts

Linked chart

Embedded chart

Picture

Step 6 – Copy an Excel weather table into Word

Step 7 – Refresh the weather data

Step 8 – Update the content in Word

Example: Create a forecast report

Weekly Weather Forecast

Temperature Forecast

Precipitation Outlook

Create the Weather API request

Use historical weather in a Word report

Use current conditions

Use worksheet parameters

API key security

Sharing linked Word documents

Use Word for a final static weather report

Word reports versus PowerPoint presentations

Common uses for weather data in Word

Research reports

Insurance and claims reports

Construction reports

Agricultural reports

Event reports

Business reporting

Troubleshooting

The chart in Word does not update

The Word link is broken

Excel does not refresh the weather

The report contains old forecast data

Summary