Weather radar west of Edmonton returning after major upgrades
A weather radar in the Edmonton area is getting its biggest upgrade in decades.
On Monday, Jan. 24, the radar west of Edmonton was supposed to finally come back online. Over the weekend, it was delayed until Wednesday.
This will be the most significant technological advancement since Doppler was installed at the Carvel radar back in 1991.
The current upgrade will increase the overall range to 400 kilometres and the Doppler range will double to 240 kilometres.
More importantly, the old single-polarization radar is switching over to dual polarization. Instead of just scanning the atmosphere horizontally, we'll now have a radar that emits a beam horizontally and vertically.
This allows meteorologists to determine size, shape and composition of precipitation (rather than just where the precipitation is).
The new radar won't just offer new data, it'll also do it much faster than the old system.
Improvements at the Environment and Climate Change Canada radar located near Carvel started at the end of August. Supply chain disruptions forced the initial completion date of December to be pushed back. But, starting Wednesday, radar coverage returns.
It's not known why Environment and Climate Change Canada delayed the return of Carvel radar to Jan. 26.
This is the fifth and final upgrade to the ECCC radar network in Alberta. It's part of a nationwide effort to modernize weather radars. A sixth radar will become operational near Fort McMurray later in 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. woman facing steep medical bills, uncertain future after Thailand crash
The family of a Victoria, B.C., woman who was seriously injured in an accident in Thailand is pleading for help as medical bills pile up.
LIVE @ 4 EDT Freeland to present 2024 federal budget, promising billions in new spending
Canadians will learn Tuesday the entirety of the federal Liberal government's new spending plans, and how they intend to pay for them, when Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tables the 2024 federal budget.
Annual inflation rate increased to 2.9% in March
The annual inflation rate ticked higher in March compared with February, boosted by higher prices for gasoline, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.
Inmate who escaped from N.B. prison has long history of violent crimes
An inmate who escaped from Dorchester Penitentiary in Dorchester, N.B., on Saturday evening has a long history of violent crimes and a history of escaping custody.
Tim Hortons launches pizza nationally to 'stretch the brand' to afternoon, night
Tim Hortons is launching flatbread pizzas nationally in a bid to pick up more afternoon and evening customers.
Thousands of dollars worth of tropical fish stolen from Ottawa Valley restaurant
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating the theft of "several thousand" dollars worth of tropical fish stolen from an Upper Ottawa Valley restaurant last week.
Ontario woman charged almost $7,000 for 20-minute taxi ride abroad
An Ontario woman was shocked to find she’d been charged nearly $7,000 after unknowingly using an unauthorized taxi company while on vacation in January.
NASA confirms mystery object that crashed through roof of Florida home came from space station
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
Budget 2024 'likely to be the worst' in decades, former BoC governor says
Without having seen it, former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge believes that Tuesday's 2024 federal budget from Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is 'likely to be the worst budget' in decades.