It's in the CB - Flint, MI
N 43° 01.008 W 083° 41.513
17T E 280643 N 4766197
Citizens Bank Headquarters' Weatherball
Waymark Code: WM2DVA
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 10/17/2007
Views: 31
From the Flint Journal: February 10, 2005
A Very Useful Landmark
Long before The Weather Channel existed and more than a decade before Flint even received cable TV, people in and around downtown Flint could look at the top of the Citizens Bank building and figure out the weather forecast every evening. Ever since the Citizens Bank Weather Ball was built in 1956, Flint residents and visitors who knew the Weather Ball rhyme knew what to expect:
When the weatherball is red, higher temperatures ahead
When the weatherball is blue, lower temperatures are due
Yellow light in weatherball means there'll be no change at all
When colors blink in agitation, there's going to be precipitation
It was built over a four-month period on the top of the Citizens Bank headquarters, built in 1928 on the site of its original location established in 1871 at 328 S. Saginaw Street. The Weather Ball has been the symbol of Citizens Bank ever since. Of course, the Weather Ball has become a symbol for Flint, just like the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. When you see the Weather Ball with the initials C B underneath, you know you are in Flint.
The Weather Ball is operated by Citizens Bank based on forecasts by the National Weather Service.
The Weather Ball was constructed by craftsmen from 10 skilled trades.
The Weather Ball's construction materials include 800 square feet of Plexiglas and 667 feet of lighting tubing.
Weight: 2.5 tons; Height: 15 feet; Diameter: 15 feet; Circumference, 47 feet.
The Weather Ball can be seen for 25 miles and is designed to withstand winds of up to 120 mph.
The inside of the Weather Ball has to be an impressive sight with the alternating red, blue and yellow neon tubing inside. There are or were other weather balls, constructed by banks such as the ones built by Michigan National Bank in Grand Rapids MI, Texas National Bank in Houston TX and Northwestern Bank in Minneapolis MN. Grand Rapids TV station WZZM channel 13 bought the dismantled Michigan National Bank weather ball, restored it and moved it to its studio location at the I-96 and US-131 interchange. KCAU-TV in Sioux City IA also has a weather ball. You can see the various past and present weather balls using your favorite Internet search engine using either "weather ball" or "weatherball" as the keywords.
Name of business: Citizens Bank
Type of business: Other
Condition of Neon Sign: Hitsville - In good working order
Physical Location:
328 S Saginaw St
Flint, MI USA
48502
Web Address: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
One picture of sign will suffice. Additional shots - bonus.