🇺🇸 Chicago vs 🇺🇸 Hartford

Humid continental — cold harsh winters, hot humid summers, severe storms

Chicago lives up to its Windy City nickname. Lake Michigan creates its own microclimate — cooler summers and heavier lake-effect snow in winter. Summers are warm but brief; winters are among the harshest of any major American city.

Hartford in the Connecticut River Valley has a humid continental climate, sheltered from direct ocean influence by the hills to the southeast. This valley position gives Hartford hotter summers and colder winters than coastal Connecticut. The river moderates temperatures somewhat while creating fog and humidity along its banks.