Gimme Back My Weatherball!

Posted at 7:41 AM on January 31, 2008 by Paul Huttner (6 Comments)

As Chief Meteorologist for MPR they give me a fair amount of leeway. A while back I told them I wanted to bring back the Weatherball.

Since it's not likely they'll allow me to erect a huge tower at 7th and Cedar, I've decided to bring the Weatherball back in cyberspace. So starting today, I'll post my Weather Lab Weatherball color coded forecast right here. Check this space for changes in the color code and forecast.

In case you’re too young to remember the Weatherball, here's a link to the jingle.

Weatherball info & jingle

The forecast jingle goes like this:

When the Weatherball is glowing red, warmer weather's just ahead.
When the Weatherball is shining white, colder weather is in sight.
When the Weatherball is wearing green, no weather changes are foreseen.
Colors blinking by night and day say, precipitation's on the way.

Weather Lab Weatherball forecast today: RED

Ah, the power of cyberspace!

PH

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Comments (6)

Down here in Sioux City IA we still have a weather ball but our colors are a bit different:



Weather Ball - Red as fire - the temperature is going higher.

Weather Ball - changes to Blue - colder weather will ensue.

Weather Ball - glowing White - precipitation is in sight.

Weather Ball - emerald Green - forecast says no change in scene.



Our weather ball

Posted by Rick | January 31, 2008 4:03 PM

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Thanks Rick:

There is also an active Weatherball in Grand Rapids, Michigan if I'm not mistaken.

I would love to see it back in the Twin Cities!

PH

Posted by Paul Huttner | January 31, 2008 5:07 PM

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Thanks Rick:

There is also an active Weatherball in Grand Rapids, Michigan if I'm not mistaken.

I would love to see it back in the Twin Cities!

PH

Posted by Paul Huttner | January 31, 2008 5:07 PM

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The Weatherball may be gone but not forgotten at the Wells Fargo History Museum in downtown Minneapolis. A replica Weatherball is on display along with a Weatherball coin bank and other ephemera bearing the Weatherball symbol from the days of Northwestern National Bank (now Wells Fargo). We even have the original Weatherball control box!

Here at the Museum we’re happy to talk about the Weatherball including the two different official versions of the jingle (from 1949 and 1959). Our most frequently asked question is “What happened to the Weatherball?”

Erected in 1949, the Weatherball stopped functioning after the 1982 Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed the bank building. (Read about it at http://blog.wellsfargo.com/GuidedByHistory/2007/02/weatherball.html\ )
The bank donated the Weatherball to the Minnesota State Fair and they were unable to restore it.

Stop by and see it sometime!

Megan Schaack, curator of the Wells Fargo History Museum, Minneapolis.

Posted by Megan Schaack | February 1, 2008 12:17 PM

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Got this from Megan Schaack at Wells Fargo.

Thanks Megan!

PH

The Weatherball may be gone but not forgotten at the Wells Fargo History Museum in downtown Minneapolis. A replica Weatherball is on display along with a Weatherball coin bank and other ephemera bearing the Weatherball symbol from the days of Northwestern National Bank (now Wells Fargo). We even have the original Weatherball control box!

Here at the Museum we?re happy to talk about the Weatherball including the two different official versions of the jingle (from 1949 and 1959).
Our most frequently asked question is ?What happened to the Weatherball??

Erected in 1949, the Weatherball stopped functioning after the 1982 Thanksgiving Day fire destroyed the bank building. (Read about it at

href="http://blog.wellsfargo.com/GuidedByHistory/2007/02/weatherball.html\"

href="http://blog.wellsfargo.com/GuidedByHistory/2007/02/weatherball.html\"
>http://blog.wellsfargo.com/GuidedByHistory/2007/02/weatherball.html\

The bank donated the Weatherball to the Minnesota State Fair and they were unable to restore it.

Stop by and see it sometime!

Megan Schaack, curator of the Wells Fargo History Museum, Minneapolis.

Posted by Paul Huttner | February 1, 2008 3:00 PM

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There is a weather ball in Grand Rapids, Mi butthere is no cam to view it. Our's is pretty much the same jingle;
Weather ball red warmer weather ahead
Weather ball blue cooler weather in view
Weather ball green no change forseen
Weather ball blinking bright rain or snow in sight

I work right across the street from it, man how lately I have hated to see it blinking blue. I'm tired of cold weather & snow!! LOL

Posted by John Schafer Ii | February 12, 2008 5:38 PM

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