Berkeley Building Weather Beacon
(The John Old Hancock Building Weather Beacon)
Sometime back in 1992 when I was just getting started writing websites, I experimented with my very first bit of server space, and put together one of many pages on the Hancock Weather Beacon in Boston. Now I am living in Seattle and don't see the landmark anymore... but over hte years I have done google searches on the topic and the results become fewer and fewer. So today I am creating a page that can be found again.
What does it mean?
There is a little rhyme that goes with the beacon to help folks remember what it means.
Steady blue, clear view;
Flashing blue, clouds are due;
Steady red, rain ahead;
Flashing red, snow instead.
(except in the summer, when it means the Red Sox game is rained out)
In 2004 the following line was added to the rhyme:
Flashing blue and red, when the Curse of the Bambino is dead!
Timeline
- 1949
- Completed building boasted a host of superlatives: tallest building in New England; largest office cafeteria, capable of holding 1,000 people; fastest elevators, able to speed up and down at 800 feet per minute; and the largest completely air-conditioned structure in the region.
- 1950-03-15
- Beacon first forecasted weather using predictions from a meteorological company on the 26th floor.
- 1950-04
- Beacon began signalling when the Boston Red Sox, and Boston Braves games were cancelled.
- 1973
- Beacon went dark to set an example for energy conservation during the energy crisis
- 1982
- John Hancock began testing the light again
- 1983
- Relit for good... Still used today!