rosalind, we had a very wet first half of the year.
That was after a very snowy winter that lasted until mid-April.
Now the temperatures are in the 90s. (We are still not converting to C)
I live in a burb and go to Chicago twice a year.
My job was in Chicago but after retirement no reason to go there.
Chicago just elected a black LGBTQ female who used to be a prosecutor.
It is a town with great music and some awesome restaurants.
But September/October are the months to visit when the temperatures are in 70s. Kids are in school, so they are not everywhere you want to visit.