def METHOD_NAME(outdir, lat, lon, start, end, vars=None):
    """Calls the DayMet Rest API to get data and save raw data."""
    url = daymet_rest_url(lat, lon, start, end, vars)
    logging.info('Querying: %s'%url)
    resp = requests.get(url)
    if resp.status_code != requests.codes.ok:
        logging.warning('  returned code: %r'%resp.status_code)    
        raise RuntimeError('Failed download on "%s" with error code "%r"'%(url, resp.status_code))
    else:
        logging.info('  returned code: %r'%resp.status_code)
    filename = os.path.join(outdir, 'daymet_raw_%s.dat'%file_id(lat, lon))
    logging.info('  writing to disk: %s'%filename)
    with open(filename, 'w') as fid:
        fid.write(resp.text)
    return read_daymet(filename)