Grand Rapids, Michigan: The 13 Weather Ball
Color changing sphere is used as a gimmick to forecast local weather. Not as big as Flint's Weather Ball.
- Address:
- 645 3 Mile Rd NW, Grand Rapids, MI
- Directions:
- Intersection of I-96 and Highway 131.
- Hours:
- Drive-by only. Visible from I-96 Local health policies may affect hours and access.
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The 13 Weather Ball. Sparkly and shiny whether or not there's weather.
[Kayla, 07/07/2017]We have a local weather ball that the news station uses as a gimmick to forecast the weather. I've included the Weather Ball poem:
13 Weatherball red, warmer ahead. 13 Weatherball blue, cooler in view. 13 Weatherball green, no change foreseen. Colors blinking bright, rain or snow in sight.
The Weatherball sat on top of the Michigan National Bank building in downtown Grand Rapids for 20 years before it came down due to destructive wind effects in 1987. The "Original" Weatherball WZZM 13 station purchased the original Weatherball in 1999, after investigating and finding it "collecting dust in a steel scrap yard in Kalamazoo."
The 16-foot diameter stainless steel ball features 288 neon lights atop a 100-ft. pole. The color of the lights forecast the next day's weather.
[Amy Cobler, 02/14/2004]Nearby Offbeat Places
Statue: President Ford As A Boy Scout, Grand Rapids, MI - 2 mi.
Project X, Grand Rapids, MI - 3 mi.
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum, Grand Rapids, MI - 3 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
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