DENVER — A storm can change history. A severe thunderstorm in southern Wisconsin in 1964 certainly did.
"I remember when I was 6 or 7 years old, we had this big thunderstorm come through my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. Tornado watches, warnings. Flash-flooding, trees down. Most people would've been freaked out. I thought it was great," recalled Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson.
For Nelson, that storm blew in a lifelong love affair with the weather.
When you are a kid who loves weather like that, the local TV weather forecaster becomes like a superhero. For young Nelson in Madison, Wisconsin, that superhero was Terry Kelly, the chief meteorologist for ABC affiliate, WKOW-TV.
Nelson watched him every night and dreamed of forecasting the weather on TV one day. He even made his own weather map.
"I would take it out of the newspaper where the fronts were, and I'd put the lows and highs on there. And in front of the mirror, I'd practice doing the weather," Nelson recalled.
Fast-forward to a teenage Mike Nelson, still dreaming of working in TV news but paying the bills by working at Baskin Robbins. One day, his hero, Terry Kelly, walked in and became a regular customer.
"He came into my ice cream store. For me, this is like a football star," said Nelson.
After a year or so of serving his idol ice cream, Nelson worked up the nerve to ask Kelly if he could work for him at the TV station. He offered to answer phones, empty the trash — really anything to be there. Kelly said yes.
"That next Friday, Nov. 4, 1976, I got hired at minimum wage to work at the TV station. And Cindy and I went on our first date," said Nelson.
Cindy is his now-wife of 43 years.
In the 1970s, your local TV weatherman — and they were almost exclusively men — still used magnets and markers to make weather maps. Mike's mentor, Terry Kelly, helped develop the first computer that created weather graphics for television.
Still working for Kelly, Mike spent 1979 through 1984 installing these new computer systems at TV stations across the country and training weather teams to use them.
"I actually trained Al Roker on the first weather computer he ever had," said Nelson.
That job also brought Mike to Denver in the early 80s to train legendary Colorado forecasters Stormy Rottman and Bill Kuster on the first weather computer in Denver.
Mike eventually pivoted to become a full-time on-air meteorologist, working in Madison and then St. Louis. He arrived in Denver in 1991 for a job at KUSA then finally made his way to KMGH/Denver7 in 2004. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Nelson considers education to be a big part of his job. If you grew up in the Denver metro area and are of a certain age, chances are pretty good that Nelson spoke to your elementary school.
He probably juggled hail stones, showed how weather balloons work and most definitely performed his signature showstopper — the tornado dance.
"I've done a lot of school talks. I think I've talked to a million children," said Nelson.
Some of his other resume highlights include winning 20 Emmy awards and being inducted into the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame. But his proudest achievement revolves around meteorology.
"Probably becoming a fellow of the American Meteorological Association. Because there are only 30 broadcasters that have ever been named fellows in the AMS and it's only 1% of the society is ever elevated to fellow," said Nelson.
More about Denver7 Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson's storied career:
Watch Mike Nelson's first Denver7 weather forecast from 20 years ago Colorado's weatherman: Colleagues reflect on Mike Nelson's nearly 50-year career Denver7 meteorologists honor Chief Meteorologist Mike Nelson Why Mike Nelson took on climate change during storied 48-year meteorology career Denver7 honors Mike Nelson with official NWS co-op observer weather station Mike Nelson on a new ‘climate emergency,’ looking ahead to retirementThat may be the award he's most proud of, but if you know Mike, you know nothing in his work life is more important than the viewers.
"I think the thing that I’ve always been flattered about and don't take lightly is the fact that despite all the changes in this industry, and there have been a lot of them and it continues to go on - it still boils down to people watch people. And we are invited into people's homes every single night," said Nelson.
So after 48 years of being invited into people's homes, what's next? Nelson said he and Cindy will stay in Denver for now, where he'll still be watching storms from the comfort of his home.
"I'll keep doing all the forecasting for myself and watching and waiting for this next round of big thunderstorms and heavy snow because I so enjoy watching our weather," said Nelson.
A storm can change history. Lucky for all of us, there was a severe thunderstorm in southern Wisconsin in 1964.
"When you can figure out at the age of 6 what you want to be and still like doing it 60 years later, that's pretty cool," said Nelson.
- Hear his final remarks in the video player below
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