What's New/ Blog

Two week wind plots for Saskatoon MFR and Tromso MFR (Tuesdays), and Eureka MWR (Mondays) are placed weekly or biweekly (Saskatoon) in "ADG Current MF/MWR Radar Plots". In the winter (October-March), weekly (early winter) or daily updates are made to the vortex and UVZT plots/animations.

Sept 20 '16.
There is a connection problem with Tromso MFR - system is fine, but I can't download data online.

Sept 28 '16:
Now that I have a sufficient allocation, all the vortex animations have been put up ('91/'92 to '15/'16 )

Oct 3'16
Tromso MFR link ok now.

Sept 26'17:
Technical reports (analysis, radar operation manuals, listings, etc.) now available.

Apr02'18
- and so ends another North polar vortex run.

Apr03'18
UKMO/MetO 3-level stratospheric UVZT animations during northern hemisphere winter have been posted for all UKMO data from 1991/1992 on.

Aug 22'18
Eureka MWR monthly plot archive has been updated to July 2018. Plots covering Oct 23'16-Jul31'17 (when one Rx antenna was twisted) have been replaced with corrected plots. (A statistical test showed the "fixed" meteors constitute ~78% of the surviving meteors. There is no way to tell which ~78% .) Tromso and Saskatoon (Park) monthly plot archive has also been updated to Jul '18.

Jul 5 '22
We have lost contact wth the Eureka meteor radar (since Jun 19). Virus restrictions mean that no-one will be on site to investigate until Jul 30. It may be still running ... or not.

July 25'22
Eureka MWR update: Contact was resumed on July 17; but the system has been down since July 12; that is, there are "data" files between Jun 19 and Jul 12. The antenna #4 noise data look quite strange in places - it's not clear whether the data are usable. So they will not be posted at this time. On July 12 the system shut itself down due a large TX VSWR (2.5). Possibly the Tx feed has been chewed through ? So there will be no data until repairs are made.

October 14 '22
Quite possibly the SKiYMET system is permamently off- but at least until summer '23. There is a lack of access (COVID quaranteen restrictions, plus limited on-site facilities) and lack (or end) of funding. A complete antenna re-cabling is required due to rodent (fox?) damage.

Oct 18 '22
MetO/The UKMO stratospheric-analyses data we use ceased to be updated after 2022 Sep 08). CEDA is not producing stratospheric analyses anymore because of a "loss of software" (i.e no backup copy)

But before UKMO data stopped, the Meteorological Sevice of Canada assimilated model, GEM,increased its coverage from 20 to 1 hPa, which is now enough to cover our top wanted potential temperature, 2000K. Comparison of vortex analyses between the two models showed neglible difference. It was "lucky" we had a 1 winter overlap in data sets.

Aug 29'24
- so here we are, Tromso MFR is the only radar we have left. Its plots are updated every Tuesday, posted under current radar plots (main page), and monthly plots (main page picture icon)
If we survive - we will continue the winter North polar (stratospheric) vortex in 24/25. I very much doubt we'll be in business after that, and I'll probably shut the website down in Nov '25 (I pay for it)

Aug29'24
We are now compatible with the HTML5 standard as checked by https://validator.w3.org/ (send comments to chris.meek@usask.ca)

April 7 2025
Surprise, surprise! we are still here ... the Eureka meteor radar was restarted by Wayne Hocking in the summer of 2024 - but is running on half TX. I don't see an obvious difference in o/p numbers.
CANDAC is still running on fumes - but thanks to major efforts by Kim Strong and the other PIs it seems as if it will survive.
2024/25 Winter North polar vortex analyses are ended, but weekly, and monthly, plots for Tromso MFR and Eureka MWR mesospheric winds are still being posted.
Chris