From the Grand Rapids Business Journal:Dad, are we home yet?" Whined two weary kids returning from vacation. "Can you see the Weather Ball yet?" He asked. "Nooooooo!" Came the whines again. "Well then, we're not home yet!"
Home is Grand Rapids between 1967 through 1987, and the Weather Ball was a 64-ton, 125-foot-tall steel structure with a neon ball on top that forecasted the weather 24 hours a day. It sat atop the former Michigan National Bank building at 77 Monroe Center, and they say you could see it for 10 miles around. What started as a Michigan National project went on to become the Grand Rapids landmark, along with the fish ladder and Alexander Calder sculpture. Ask any Grand Rapids native over the age of 25 and they will recite the short rhyme that accompanied the huge, spherical structure:
Weather ball red, warmer weather ahead
Weather ball green, no change foreseen
Colors blinking bright, rain or snow in sight.
Tacky? Maybe, Accurate? Probably not, Nostalgic? You betcha!
In today's world of 24-hour weather stations, Doppler Radar, NexRad and storm teams who track and forecast our weather continuously, it seems a little silly that for two decades Grand Rapidians used to look to the sky over downtown to decide whether to bring an umbrella or put on a warmer coat. This was Grand Rapids before the Van Andel Arena, the BOB, and the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. And in 1967 it was futuristic! During its 20-year reign, the Weather Ball survived countless storms and two nearby tornadoes. Records show only one serious instance when one of the 12-by-20 foot identification letters blew off and fell to the street below. Folklore abounds about the structure, teenage boys on a dare to climb and unplug the glowing structure, and janitors who would find clothes on the rooftop in the morning.
The decision to remove the Weather Ball was that of Michigan National Bank, when reports showed that the Weather Ball was damaging the building's core structure, cracking walls and allowing moisture seepage to further damage the building. The decision, although difficult, came fast and the Weather Ball was doomed to come down. There were stirrings of opposition to save the Weather Ball, but in the end no one saved it. The neon tubes were removed by Ian McCartney, from NeonAmericana, and the steel ended up in a scrap yard in Kalamazoo. Not a very nice way to treat a community landmark.
Fast forward to 2003, on May 23 the West Michigan landmark returned to the skyline and began lighting up the sky once again.
WZZM 13 purchased the steel ball scrap from a Kalamazoo scrap yard and spent the next four years refurbishing and reconstructing the 16-foot neon covered stainless steel spherical object to better than original state. Thanks to WZZM 13, that nostalgic presence is back in our lives, the actual Weather Ball. Cheers!
8 comments:
Eric or justin, I noticed in the paper today that they said that la nina was the reason for increased tornado activity early this spring, but is la nina still going on or has that pulled out and if so why has there been soo many tornadoes. I think rockford should get a weather ball. That would be cool. Then if a person is out all day and wants to know how the weather will be, they can just look at the ball.
I think a Weather Ball for Rockford is a great idea and I don't even live in Rockford.
Actually it would be nice if every town could have one because then no matter where anyone happened to be at any given time, they would know what the weather would be like and dress and plan accordingly, plus it would be a great addition to the decor of the town. (Not possible I know but nothing wrong with dreaming...)
Every town has its landmarks so we shouldn't try to imitate what makes other places unique by getting one. We have our own reasons to be proud of our city. The money for it could go toward other things...
Like giving you folks raises.. You do a great job.
I know our country has had a number of tornados but isn't it just a part of warmer weather to have them? Some news announcers make it sound freakish but then perhaps they didn't grow up in the Midwest.
I can remember being on a field trip at Atwood Park back in '64 right around this time of the year and seeing a tornado going over up in the clouds. I was also around for the Bevidere tornado and Rockford had warnings that day too. We were all watching the clouds from the art room at Lincoln!
Keep up the good work weathercrew! You are THE best in town.
They have something similar in Des Moines: the Weather Beacon. Essentially it is colored lighting on the KCCI TV tower.
Weather beacon red, warmer weather ahead.
Weather beacon white, cooler weather in sight.
Weather beacon green, little change in temperature foreseen.
Weather beacon flashing night or day, precip is on the way.
It's a pretty neat way to let everyone know what the predicted trend in weather is. In addition, if marketed correctly, it is something that people associate with its sponsor station. I think it would be a shrewd idea to bring something similar to Rockford.
I know that we don't have a live doppler in Rockford, you use 27 in Madison's, but if it were to be located here, could the outside of the dome be made into a "weather ball", or would it interfere with the radar beam?
Darn it, ilwxguy beat me to it! I got quite accustomed to seeing the Weather Beacon on my way to KCCI studios where I interned for a few semesters in college.
Oooh... I think that we should do that to the Super Doppler ball up here in Madison!
Stormpuncher... You beat me to it!
-Adam
Weekend Director/TD @ WKOW, former Director @ WREX
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