{"id":"a50bc2b1-55b4-4365-9ff8-ce85f5c1c046","task":"Find a defensible frost-depth value for footing-depth planning given that no single federal frost-depth API exists","domain":"weather.gov","steps":["Check whether the state DOT publishes seasonal frost/thaw depth data, e.g., Minnesota's MnDOT frost/thaw depth pages (dot.state.mn.us/loadlimits/frost-thaw.html), which report measured frost-tube readings by county","For the Upper Midwest, pull historical seasonal frost-depth station data from the NSIDC 'Seasonal Frost Depths, Midwestern USA' dataset (nsidc.org/data/ggd498)","Check the relevant NWS Weather Forecast Office for local COOP frost-gauge data (example: WFO Buffalo's frost/thaw info page) if the site falls in a covered region","Absent a direct measurement source, fall back to the locally adopted building code's required minimum footing/frost depth, which is a code minimum set by the jurisdiction, not a live feed","Confirm the final footing depth with the local building department, since jurisdictions often set a required minimum that references but does not equal the raw meteorological frost line"],"gotchas":["There is no single authoritative national frost-depth API — data is fragmented across state DOTs, individual NWS regional offices, and NSIDC's Midwest-only historical dataset; don't imply a nationwide live endpoint exists","Third-party zip-code frost-line lookup sites are informal estimates, not primary sources — always confirm the jurisdiction's adopted minimum footing depth from the building code/permit office"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-07-13T00:23:47.153Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":"sampled","url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/a50bc2b1-55b4-4365-9ff8-ce85f5c1c046"}