Our Canada Weather Radar Guide will keep you in the know!

Find more about Canadian weather.

Environment Canada radar map

Check out Canada weather radar online.  On this page, you can see simultaneous results from over 30 Canadian radar meteorology locations.  Why?

Did you ever step outside to sunshine, only to get caught in a downpour? 

You can see rain, snow, and even storms coming from a mile away with Canada's awesome weather radar!

Here's why you want to use Canadian weather radar:

• Stay on top of weather patterns so you don't get caught off guard.
• Stay ahead of the weather by predicting storms.
• Choose the level of detail you want for your radar views.
• Understand color scales and what's falling.

Weather anxiety gone! With Canada's radar at your fingertips, you'll be a weather pro in no time.

If you're heading out, prepare by checking the radar.  You can track weather patterns and forecast potential weather events using it.  Temperature, wind speed, forecasts and precipitation are also provided on their website.

In the wild, a radar station

Each Canada environment radar weather site is indicated on the graphic above by a black dot with a faint disc showing its range.  Major cities are shown in white dots.

You'll see an animation if you click the blue play button above the map and wait a sec.  In addition, users can adjust how much background detail they see.  Some people find too much information distracting, so they made it customizable.  The default settings show major cities and roads with concentric circles.  You can also use highway numbers, smaller towns, and watercourses.

The colour intensity scale can be set to eight (default) or 14 colours for more detail, which is what I do.  Choose either the three-hour setting or the one-hour default if you want to look at a longer timeframe.

Canada weather radar: more detail

Environment and Climate Change Canada has 31 radar stations working full time. None of them are in the Arctic.  British Columbia has four, Alberta has five, Saskatchewan and Manitoba each have two, Ontario has eight, Quebec has five, New Brunswick has one, Nova Scotia has two, and Newfoundland has two.  You can get a regional map covering two or three provinces by clicking a province north of the disc covering the city you want.

If your radar isn't working, click inside one of those gray discs for fullest colour detail, complete with animation.  If your radar is out of operation, which happens from time to time, it will not function.

Check out the colour scale on the right.  You can see where the heaviest precipitation is falling, where the storm is moving, and how fast.  Sometimes you can tell if it's going to rain in the next hour or so.

The weather radar image from Canada can help you understand what's happening in your area right now.  Here is a step-by-step guide to interpret Canada's weather radar:

-Find the radar image on Environment Canada's website or other weather websites that provide radar images for Canada.

-The legend (inside the small floating window) explains the colors and symbols in the radar image.  Green indicates light precipitation, yellow indicates moderate precipitation, and red indicates heavy precipitation, depending on the website.

-The radar image can help you figure out what kind of precipitation it is, like rain, snow, or hail.  It takes some training and skill, but analyzing radar echoes can tell you what type of precipitation it is.

-Animate the image using the play button to analyze the movement and direction: By watching the radar echoes, you can determine the direction of the weather system.  You can prepare for weather conditions this way.

-Radar images can help you spot severe weather, like thunderstorms, tornadoes, and winter storms.  Radar echoes from these areas are usually bright and strong.

In general, interpreting Canada's weather radar image requires careful observation, analysis, and knowledge of the legend and weather patterns.  See the Common Interpretation Errors in the upper right corner of the main screen for help understanding the results.  When looking at the radar display, it gives you a list of technical issues to keep in mind.

Canada weather radar has not been around forever...

Canadians can monitor and forecast weather in real-time with Environment Canada Weather Radar.  Radar is used to detect and track precipitation, such as rain, snow, and hail, and other weather phenomena, like thunderstorms and tornadoes.

An ideal radar station

Environment Canada Weather Radar dates back to the mid-20th century, when the Canadian government started investing in weather monitoring technology.  Meteorological Service of Canada was established in the 1950s to provide weather forecasts and warnings.

In the 1960s, Environment Canada developed a network of weather radar stations that would use Doppler radar to provide more accurate and detailed information about weather patterns.  By the early 1970s, there were over a dozen radar stations across our country.

Weather Radar technology has evolved and improved over the years.  The system was upgraded in the 1990s to detect wind speed and direction within storms using Doppler radar.  The system was further enhanced in the early 2000s with dual-polarization technology, which provided more details about precipitation particles' sizes and shapes.

Go back from Canada Weather Radar to the Weather Canada page, or visit the Stuff in the Air homepage. OR...publish your thoughts on the subject here.

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What's happening in your area according to Canada Weather Radar?

Here is a single air page that shows the data from all the Canada weather radar displays.  This government webpage provides users with a comprehensive view of the weather in their area, including current conditions and precipitation levels. 

Also, you can view historical weather data on the radar displays and gain an understanding of the weather patterns over time in their area.

Do you have concerns about air pollution in your area??

Perhaps modelling air pollution will provide the answers to your question.

That is what I do on a full-time basis.  Find out if it is necessary for your project.

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