diff --git a/src/plugins/flow.js b/src/plugins/flow.js
index 3aa7323e3e..dea6c42b93 100644
--- a/src/plugins/flow.js
+++ b/src/plugins/flow.js
@@ -367,14 +367,13 @@ pp.flowParseObjectType = function (allowStatic, allowExact) {
       isStatic = true;
     }
 
-    const variancePos = this.state.start;
     const variance = this.flowParseVariance();
 
     if (this.match(tt.bracketL)) {
       nodeStart.indexers.push(this.flowParseObjectTypeIndexer(node, isStatic, variance));
     } else if (this.match(tt.parenL) || this.isRelational("<")) {
       if (variance) {
-        this.unexpected(variancePos);
+        this.unexpected(variance.start);
       }
       nodeStart.callProperties.push(this.flowParseObjectTypeCallProperty(node, allowStatic));
     } else {
@@ -382,7 +381,7 @@ pp.flowParseObjectType = function (allowStatic, allowExact) {
       if (this.isRelational("<") || this.match(tt.parenL)) {
         // This is a method property
         if (variance) {
-          this.unexpected(variancePos);
+          this.unexpected(variance.start);
         }
         nodeStart.properties.push(this.flowParseObjectTypeMethod(startPos, startLoc, isStatic, propertyKey));
       } else {
@@ -782,12 +781,14 @@ pp.typeCastToParameter = function (node) {
 pp.flowParseVariance = function() {
   let variance = null;
   if (this.match(tt.plusMin)) {
+    variance = this.startNode();
     if (this.state.value === "+") {
-      variance = "plus";
-    } else if (this.state.value === "-") {
-      variance = "minus";
+      variance.kind = "plus";
+    } else {
+      variance.kind = "minus";
     }
     this.next();
+    this.finishNode(variance, "Variance");
   }
   return variance;
 };
@@ -1036,7 +1037,6 @@ export default function (instance) {
   // parse class property type annotations
   instance.extend("parseClassProperty", function (inner) {
     return function (node) {
-      delete node.variancePos;
       if (this.match(tt.colon)) {
         node.typeAnnotation = this.flowParseTypeAnnotation();
       }
@@ -1055,10 +1055,9 @@ export default function (instance) {
   instance.extend("parseClassMethod", function () {
     return function (classBody, method, isGenerator, isAsync) {
       if (method.variance) {
-        this.unexpected(method.variancePos);
+        this.unexpected(method.variance.start);
       }
       delete method.variance;
-      delete method.variancePos;
       if (this.isRelational("<")) {
         method.typeParameters = this.flowParseTypeParameterDeclaration();
       }
@@ -1093,11 +1092,9 @@ export default function (instance) {
 
   instance.extend("parsePropertyName", function (inner) {
     return function (node) {
-      const variancePos = this.state.start;
       const variance = this.flowParseVariance();
       const key = inner.call(this, node);
       node.variance = variance;
-      node.variancePos = variancePos;
       return key;
     };
   });
@@ -1106,10 +1103,9 @@ export default function (instance) {
   instance.extend("parseObjPropValue", function (inner) {
     return function (prop) {
       if (prop.variance) {
-        this.unexpected(prop.variancePos);
+        this.unexpected(prop.variance.start);
       }
       delete prop.variance;
-      delete prop.variancePos;
 
       let typeParameters;
 
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/def-site-variance/1/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/def-site-variance/1/expected.json
index ad7acee460..d5e8a1b7b6 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/def-site-variance/1/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/def-site-variance/1/expected.json
@@ -87,7 +87,22 @@
                   "column": 10
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "plus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 8,
+                "end": 9,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 8
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 9
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "plus"
+              },
               "name": "T"
             },
             {
@@ -104,7 +119,22 @@
                   "column": 13
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "minus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 11,
+                "end": 12,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 11
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 12
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "minus"
+              },
               "name": "U"
             }
           ]
@@ -189,7 +219,22 @@
                   "column": 13
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "plus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 29,
+                "end": 30,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 2,
+                    "column": 11
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 2,
+                    "column": 12
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "plus"
+              },
               "name": "T"
             },
             {
@@ -206,7 +251,22 @@
                   "column": 16
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "minus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 32,
+                "end": 33,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 2,
+                    "column": 14
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 2,
+                    "column": 15
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "minus"
+              },
               "name": "U"
             }
           ]
@@ -289,7 +349,22 @@
                   "column": 9
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "plus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 48,
+                "end": 49,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 3,
+                    "column": 7
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 3,
+                    "column": 8
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "plus"
+              },
               "name": "T"
             },
             {
@@ -306,7 +381,22 @@
                   "column": 12
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "minus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 51,
+                "end": 52,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 3,
+                    "column": 10
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 3,
+                    "column": 11
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "minus"
+              },
               "name": "U"
             }
           ]
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/110/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/110/expected.json
index 6556914731..813e1eb0d2 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/110/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/110/expected.json
@@ -142,7 +142,22 @@
               },
               "optional": false,
               "static": false,
-              "variance": "plus"
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 10,
+                "end": 11,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 10
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 11
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "plus"
+              }
             }
           ],
           "indexers": [],
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/111/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/111/expected.json
index 8dde23737d..e8d4f2f2c1 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/111/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/111/expected.json
@@ -142,7 +142,22 @@
               },
               "optional": false,
               "static": false,
-              "variance": "minus"
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 10,
+                "end": 11,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 10
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 11
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "minus"
+              }
             }
           ],
           "indexers": [],
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/114/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/114/expected.json
index 6279284056..4a29dfbbee 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/114/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/114/expected.json
@@ -175,7 +175,22 @@
                   "name": "V"
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "plus"
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 10,
+                "end": 11,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 10
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 11
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "plus"
+              }
             }
           ],
           "exact": false
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/115/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/115/expected.json
index 2ed71ae23e..7868c1e169 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/115/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/115/expected.json
@@ -175,7 +175,22 @@
                   "name": "V"
                 }
               },
-              "variance": "minus"
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 10,
+                "end": 11,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 10
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 11
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "minus"
+              }
             }
           ],
           "exact": false
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/118/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/118/expected.json
index 3197ff95a7..6b123d102a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/118/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/118/expected.json
@@ -107,7 +107,22 @@
                 },
                 "name": "p"
               },
-              "variance": "plus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 9,
+                "end": 10,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 9
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 10
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "plus"
+              },
               "static": false,
               "typeAnnotation": {
                 "type": "TypeAnnotation",
@@ -165,4 +180,4 @@
     ],
     "directives": []
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/119/expected.json b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/119/expected.json
index 601ec1663f..3fb9fb001a 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/119/expected.json
+++ b/test/fixtures/flow/type-annotations/119/expected.json
@@ -107,7 +107,22 @@
                 },
                 "name": "p"
               },
-              "variance": "minus",
+              "variance": {
+                "type": "Variance",
+                "start": 9,
+                "end": 10,
+                "loc": {
+                  "start": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 9
+                  },
+                  "end": {
+                    "line": 1,
+                    "column": 10
+                  }
+                },
+                "kind": "minus"
+              },
               "static": false,
               "typeAnnotation": {
                 "type": "TypeAnnotation",
@@ -165,4 +180,4 @@
     ],
     "directives": []
   }
-}
+}
\ No newline at end of file