GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — During holidays like the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve, the 13 ON YOUR SIDE team of meteorologists will change the Weatherball into "party mode."
On a normal day, the changing colors of the 13 Weatherball are determined by 13 ON YOUR SIDE's meteorologists based on their forecast for the day.
The Weatherball is perched on top of a 100-foot pole on the northeast corner of WZZM's property at the intersection of I-96 and U.S. 131 and has been since 2003.
From this vantage point, you can see the Weatherball from miles away.
Weatherball 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.
How do we change the color of the Weatherball?
While it would be incredibly fun if we had a large lever in the weather center to turn the colors on the Weatherball, it's actually a much simpler process.
There's a small switch right next to 13 ON YOUR SIDE's meteorologist workspace that has buttons for red, green, blue, blinking and of course, party mode.
You can learn even more about the Weatherball, its origins and how it is maintained in the Weatherball 20th Anniversary Special:
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