Happy 66th Birthday To Flint’s Weather Ball!

The most recognizable glowing ball, apart from the sun, has been a part of the Flint skyline for 66 years this month.  Originally, it was displayed with a "CB" for Citizens Bank.  Then "FM" for First Merit Bank.  Now, "HB" for Huntington Bank.

The Saginaw Street, Downtown Flint Weather Ball is iconic!

No matter which direction you're traveling around Genesee County, you can see the 2 Ton-Plus ball flashing or glowing in the night sky.  Its installation was completed in 1956.

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Forecasts are obtained from the National Weather Service and communicated colors (more on that in a moment).

The weather ball has been so iconic people have gone to great lengths to recognize & celebrate it.  A guy created a desktop replica of the giant weather ball for his mother -- see that here.  During summer of 2022 a photographer got a "lunar eclipse" shot of the weather ball--see that here.  Flint's glowing icon was even celebrated as far away as New York City, NY at Randolph Beer.  They had an IPA named "Flint Weather Ball" on draft.

I took this blue-sky shot from the 7th floor elevator lobby of the next-door Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Downtown Flint over the last weekend in July.

While it may look "small" from afar, it's actually 15 feet in height/diameter with a circumference of 47 feet.  It's built to endure winds up to 120 miles per hour!

As we celebrate a legendary Flint landmark on its 66th birthday, remember the rhyme!

"When the weather ball is red, higher temps ahead.  When the weather ball is blue, lower temps are due.  Yellow light in the weather ball means there'll be no change at all.  When colors blink in agitation, there's going to be precipitation."

Enjoy more from all around Michigan, here: