After 33 years forecasting the weather for Denver viewers and nearly 50 years in television, longtime meteorologist Mike Nelson will retire in December.
Nelson first appeared on Colorado television screens in 1991, when he moved to Denver from the Midwest to work as chief meteorologist at 9News. He became chief meteorologist at Denver7 in 2004, and his final broadcast for the station – and the end of his 48-year career – will be Dec. 12.
Nelson has reported the news during some of Colorado’s biggest weather events, including the Windsor tornado in 2008, deadly flooding in September 2013 and major blizzards like those in October 1997, March 2003 and March 2019.
“Mike knows more about the weather than anybody I’ve ever come into contact with in the business,” Denver7 General Manager Brian Joyce said. “…People have known him for so long, they trust him with what goes on with the weather.”
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That includes the likes of former Denver Bronco Steve Atwater, who waded through chest-deep snow to shelter in Nelson’s living room during the 1997 blizzard while he waited for a ride from a snowmobile.
The memory of coaxing the football player out of the storm and then continuing to report the weather while he huddled in the living room is one of the highlights of his career, Nelson said Monday. The video he took of Atwater running back out into the snow to hitch a ride on a snowmobile ended up on the Super Bowl XXXII highlight reel for the Broncos’ 1998 victory over the Packers.
Nelson has won 20 Emmy awards, a Silver Circle award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and was the Colorado Broadcasters Association’s Citizen of the Year in 2001. He’s also the only Colorado broadcast meteorologist to ever be named a fellow of the American Meteorological Society.
But much of Nelson’s impact took place when there weren’t any cameras rolling.
While working in Madison, Wisconsin, Nelson worked with meteorologist Terry Kelly to develop a computer weather graphics system for television that is still the most widely used system in the U.S. and around the world, according to Denver7.
Nelson also trained forecasters on how to use the system at stations across the country, including Al Roker and Stormy Rottman.
And throughout his nearly 50-year career, Nelson has presented about weather, climate change and science to an estimated 1 million school children. He played a part in some of them pursuing science themselves, including Denver7 morning meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo.
Nelson made sure that learning about science did not exclude fun, creating his famous “tornado dance” when he had to find an alternative to bringing a can of chafing fuel to power his tornado machine.
The dance looks like cold air and hot air – both played by Nelson – getting into a shoving match before they become a tornado, shown by Nelson spinning around like a figure skater in front of hundreds of students.
“I have found my tornado is spinning slower than it used to after two knee replacements, so I like to think my tornado is kinder and gentler,” he said, laughing.
While his tenure as a meteorologist is ending, Nelson said he is still very enthusiastic about what he does, including reporting on how climate change and weather intersect.
“Our strength is explaining something complicated to our viewers and people invite us into their homes to do it, so why would we shy away from one of the most important threats we face as a civilization?” he said.
Nelson said he plans to enjoy retirement with his wife, Cindy, and join her in working in real estate part-time. The couple have two adult children and three grandchildren.
“I think it’s time for me to step aside and let a younger person have their chance,” he said. “I’m excited for the future at Denver7.”
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