The Gulf Building in Pittsburgh is a national landmark and one of the city’s art deco masterpieces. Prior to the late 1970s, the entire multistory structure at the top of the building was neon-illuminated, changing colors to provide a weather forecast that could be seen for many miles. The building manager Edward H. Heath used the Gulf Oil colors to create a simplified forecast: steady blue meant colder and fair; flashing blue meant colder with precipitation; steady orange meant warmer and fair; flashing orange meant warmer with precipitation. In an effort to conserve energy, the weather beacon was abandoned for a while.

However thanks to modern lighting and in partnership with KDKA-TV, the Gulf Tower has been retrofit with a modern, automated LED weather beacon that will tell a more complete forecast than ever before. Since 2012 each floor tells part of the weather forecast.

44th floor – temperature
43rd floor – temperature
42nd floor – temperature
41st floor – precipitation
40th floor – humidity
39th floor – wind speed

This is an image of the “weather top” from PNC Park across the Allegheny river.

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Weather Top