Out with the old, in with the new state-of-the-art weather radar system

Environment Canada upgrades radar system Roger Klein reports on the upgrades Environment Canada is making with state-of-the-art technology.

King City, Ont. — Environment Canada will soon have more up-to-date, detailed information than ever before with a new weather radar tower perched on a hilltop in King City, Ont.

"King City provides a key role in one of the most populated areas in Canada," said severe weather meteorologist Geoff Coulson.

The new system will be more powerful and utilize both horizontal and vertical microwave beams to peer into the atmosphere than the current Doppler radar that has been in operation since 1984.

"You are getting a better idea of the size of the raindrops, the size of the snowflakes, the size of the hail particles, and that's really going to help us with what we call quantitive precipitation estimation," Coulson added.

The weather agency is replacing 32 weather radar stations across Canada with the new technology.

Engineers already completed the upgrades in Exeter near London. The radar tower in Britt at the north end of Georgian Bay will also be finished later this summer.

Coulson said the state-of-the-art technology would help severe weather meteorologists identify dangerous storms and issue warnings sooner.

"It's not just the King City upgrade that's going to be a help with this, but it's the whole radar network being upgraded and forecasters across the country, in the Prairies, in Quebec, in the Maritimes will be able to utilize this increased ability," he noted.

The data from the new system will begin flowing to your favourite weather app in roughly eight weeks following a series of tests.