Mike Nelson sits down with Tom Green for a wide-ranging conversation about sports, storms, science, and the future of climate in Colorado. The episode opens with Tom recounting his own experience covering games during the 1997 blizzard before Nelson shares the unforgettable story of Steve Atwater seeking shelter in his home during that same storm — a moment that later appeared on a Broncos Super Bowl highlight tape.
Nelson revisits his early career in Madison, Wisconsin, and his role in helping bring computer graphics into television weather. He shares the behind-the-scenes story of installing a groundbreaking weather system at 9NEWS and how his wife Cindy helped win over legendary forecaster Stormy Rottman during a pivotal moment in Denver broadcasting history.
The conversation shifts to severe weather coverage and the responsibility meteorologists carry when delivering life-saving information during tornado warnings and blizzards. Nelson explains how trust is built over time and why calm, steady communication matters most during dangerous storms.
In the second half, the discussion turns to climate. Nelson breaks down the difference between weather and climate in simple terms, explains rising carbon dioxide levels, and addresses Colorado’s historically warm, dry winter and the wildfire risks that could follow. He also discusses renewable energy economics, electric vehicles, and why leadership decisions today will shape the climate future for decades.
The episode closes with a classic Colorado twist — a forecast that the Rockies home opener just might bring snow.
Chapters
00:00:01 – Sports & the 1997 Colorado blizzard
00:03:09 – Mike Nelson joins the show
00:05:32 – First job in TV weather & meeting mentor Terry Kelly
00:08:25 – The birth of computerized TV weather graphics
00:11:12 – Installing a weather computer for Stormy Rottman
00:15:21 – How Cindy Nelson won Stormy over
00:17:25 – Forecasting philosophy & trusting the forecaster
00:18:28 – Delivering life-saving tornado coverage
00:21:26 – Steve Atwater stuck in the snow
00:24:25 – Terrell Davis & Broncos snow stories
00:41:02 – Weather vs. climate explained
00:42:29 – Carbon dioxide levels then vs. now
00:44:58 – “Ten Facts in Ten Minutes” climate book
00:46:13 – Is climate change political?
00:51:02 – Fossil fuels, solar economics & China’s expansion
00:53:55 – Colorado’s warmest, driest winter concerns
01:02:05 – Dew point explained
01:05:40 – What makes a great TV forecast
01:15:36 – The changing face of broadcast meteorology
01:16:50 – Rockies home opener forecast
