The history of the Weather Ball - From the Vault

The Story of the Weatherball

13 Weatherball red, warmer ahead.

13 Weatherball blue, cooler in view.

13 Weatherball green, no change foreseen.

Between 1967 and 1987, the Weatherball was perched on top of the Michigan National Bank building in downtown Grand Rapids. The bank's large sign, the letters MN, were positioned under the Weatherball, and over time, acted like a large sail which created torque on the tower and damaged the structure of the building. The historic Weatherball came down in 1987, but it didn't stop generating talk around West Michigan. The 288 neon tubes that made the colors of the Weatherball were preserved and sold to West Michigan residents. Many of those original tubes can be seen in area restaurants, stores, and homes.

More here: https://www.wzzm13.com/weather-ball