🇺🇸 Missoula vs 🇺🇸 Chicago

Missoula in the Clark Fork River valley is famous for its air quality problems — winter inversions trap wood smoke and vehicle emissions in the mountain-ringed basin. The university town is surrounded by five valleys converging at this geographic pinch point, creating complex wind patterns. Fire smoke from regional wildfires is an increasing summer problem.

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.