Torrential wet weather hit the stadium half an hour before kick-off and continued throughout the night to make very difficult playing conditions for both teams.
Blues, though, were the quicker to adapt and produced an impressive opening half hour packed full of physicality with Rhys Patchell successfully slotting two penalties.
However, a yellow card to Owen Williams swung momentum back to Glasgow before the break as the hosts opened up a 12-6 advantage.
The accurate boot of Patchell drew the sides level again just before the hour mark before his sweetly struck drop goal put Blues ahead with 15 minutes remaining and sensing a big scalp on the road.
But those thoughts were dashed by a breakaway try from Tommy Seymour that put Glasgow back ahead before late drama saw scrum half Lloyd Williams held up over the line as he looked to dart over as Blues fell just short.
Heavy rain thumped down from the beginning of the game and full back Tom Williams was the first to be tested under the numerous high balls witnessed throughout the game as he gathered a testing cross-field kick from Scott Wight.
However, Blues were immediately pinged for sealing off at the breakdown and Wight duly slotted the kick from distance for a 3-0 lead.
Blues responded in style within two minutes as a penalty was this time coolly nudged over from Patchell.
Both full backs were facing an aerial bombardment and this time it was Peter Murchie who spilled the ball forward under pressure from Robin Copeland. The loose ball was hacked on by the chasing Blues players before Murchie, after a kind bounce off the post protectors, managed to race back and touch back to atone for his error.
Patchell gave Blues the lead for the first time as his a long range penalty from the halfway, after Glasgow were penalised for offside, crept over the posts. The lead was soon cancelled out, though, as a first scrum of the game resulted in a penalty which Mark Bennett slotted.
Thumping tackles from back row duo Josh Navidi and Macauley Cook rocked Warriors back before lock Bradley Davies stole possession and raced into clear space as Blues looked to counter attack with real pace.
Patchell missed his first kick of the night from wide right but it was Blues who were continuing to impress with their physical approach as they repeatedly dislodged ball in the tackle when Glasgow looked to adopt an expansive style.
The home side were dealt a further painful blow when influential skipper Al Kellock was stretchered off at the mid-point of the half.
Owen Williams was close to racing clear, after taking a flat pass from Patchell, while centre partner Gavin Evans grubber kicked in behind as Blues looked to win the territory battle as the rain continued to crash down.
Wing Chris Czekaj stopped opposite number Sean Lamont in his tracks while Lloyd Williams almost exploited a gap from a lineout win with his neat mazy run making big yards.
The scrum half was in the thick of the action and was the last action hero to halt a Glasgow counter as his superb tackle hauled down Lamont in full flow.
Blues were forced to finish the first half with 14 men when Owen Williams was adjudged to have tripped his man and Wight and Bennett made the extra man count with two penalties to open up a 12-6 lead at the break.
The kicking tactic in terrible conditions continued from both teams in the second half and Blues almost profited when a kick from Patchell was charged down but fell kindly to Filo Paulo.
Gavin Evans was forced off, after failing to shake off a leg injury picked up in the first half, and Dafydd Hewitt was straight into the defensive live as Glasgow started to probe with runs from deep.
Owen Williams produced another gem of an attacking line to take Patchell’s flat pass at pace and break down the middle as Blues almost broke the resilient Glasgow resolve.
Patchell ate into the lead after a scrum penalty to Blues and then saw a long range effort from inside his own half make the distance but just drift wide.
But the mercurial fly half made no mistake on 56 minutes and drew the teams level before a sublime drop goal put Blues back ahead as the game entered the final stages.
Glasgow, though, were not to be denied and made their only real chance of the night count as, from nowhere, Tommy Seymour broke away and won the race to the corner. The conversion by Ruaridh Jackson put the hosts 19-15 ahead.
Blues also suffered a further blow when Macauley Cook was yellow carded, with the penalty from Jackson putting Warriors seven clear and in control.
The visitors, however, were not finished and a smart quick tap penalty from Bradley Davies sparked panic close to the line and as Glasgow looked to regroup the ever-alert Lloyd Williams made a dash for the line.
His dummy created space to make the move, but a sea of bodies stopped him grounding the ball and after consulting the TMO the referee instead awarded Blues a scrum.
Glasgow also lost a man in the dying seconds, with Richie Vernon sinbinned, and Blues mounted a late charge to try and snatch a draw. But one last scrum saw the referee award a home penalty and end any hopes of a famous late comeback.
Timeline:
03m Wight p 3-0
05m Patchell p 3-3
10m Patchell p 3-6
12m Bennett p 6-6
34m Wight p 9-6
40m Bennett p 12-6
52m Patchell p 12-9
56m Patchell p 12-12
66m Patchell dg 12-15
68m Seymour t Jackson c 19-15
73m Jackson p 22-15
Cardiff Blues: 15 Tom Williams, 14 Harry Robinson, 13 Owen Williams, 12 Gavin Evans, 11 Chris Czekaj, 10 Rhys Patchell, 9 Lloyd Williams;1 Taufa'ao Filise, 2 Matthew Rees (c), 3 Scott Andrews, 4 Bradley Davies, 5 Filo Paulo, Macauley Cook, 7 Josh Navidi, 8 Robin Copeland (Hamilton 40-42, 58)
Replacements: 16 Marc Breeze, 17 Sam Hobbs, 18 Benoit Bourrust, 19 James Down, 20 Luke Hamilton, 21 Lewis Jones, 22 Gareth Davies, 23 Dafydd Hewitt.
Glasgow Warriors: 15 Peter Murchie, 14 Sean Lamont, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 Alex Dunbar, 11 Byron McGuigan (Seymour 18), 10 Scott Wight, 9 Henry Pyrgos, 1 Jerry Yanuyanutawa (Reid 56), 2 Pat MacArthur, 3 Ed Kalman (Lowe 56), 4 Tim Swinson, 5 Al Kellock (c) (Gray 20), 6 Rob Harley, 7 Chris Fusaro (Holmes 23-27), 8 Richie Vernon
Replacements: 16 Fraser Brown, 17 Gordon Reid, 18 Moray Low, 19 Tyrone Holmes, 20 Jonny Gray, 21 Chris Cusiter, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Tommy Seymour