Daily mean winds in the upper mesosphere regions above Troms¿ (69¿N, 19¿E) and Svalbard (78¿N, 16¿E) are presented; these having been obtained from 6 years' operation of the middle frequency radar at Troms¿ and almost 2 years' operation of the Svalbard meteor radar. The findings depart somewhat from the predictions of current modeling, particularly in that outflow from the pole occurs almost all year-round. This picture is in accordance with a Ferrell cell circulation in summer but not in winter. Gravity-wave drag, parameterized by the Rayleigh drag coefficient, is suggested as a likely cause of the widespread ageostrophic motion characterizing the winter dynamics.