Illinois has a temperate climate, with cold, snowy winters and hot, wet summers. This kind of weather is best for corn and hogs.  Temperatures in winter can drop to 22°F in the north and 37°F in the south. Northern Illinois receives annual snowfall of 27 inches which is far less than what the southern and the central regions receive. Chicago is nicknamed the "Windy City" because in the 1800s New York journalists labeled Chicagoans as "the windy citizenry out west" and called some Chicago leaders "loudmouth and windy"—not because of fierce winds.