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I'd say the distinction between the Midwest and the East is artificial. The Midwest isn't "west" at all, it's the inland portion of the northeastern United States. It essentially has exactly what you'd therefore expect, a slightly more extreme version of the east coast climate. It's only when you get to the furthest west parts of the Midwest that you really start to notice a transition to Plains ecosystems and weather.
I'd say the distinction between the Midwest and the East is artificial. The Midwest isn't "west" at all, it's the inland portion of the northeastern United States. It essentially has exactly what you'd therefore expect, a slightly more extreme version of the east coast climate. It's only when you get to the furthest west parts of the Midwest that you really start to notice a transition to Plains ecosystems and weather.
Voted other for this reason. The bridge portion of the midwest is in the line of states like Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Other than that, the midwest is much more in common with the eastern US.
Voted other for this reason. The bridge portion of the midwest is in the line of states like Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Other than that, the midwest is much more in common with the eastern US.
So would you consider Indiana to have more in common with the East in terms of climate than it does with the Great Plains region of the lower forty eight states?
So would you consider Indiana to have more in common with the East in terms of climate than it does with the Great Plains region of the lower forty eight states?
Yes, Indiana has less droughts, less irrigated crops, more humidity, and dust storms are highly unusual unlike the West out in the Great Plains. The geographic dividing zone between the West and East is the 100 degree longitude line.
No other climate nor vegetation regimes are close enough to the Midwest for me to call them "similar."
However, I'd say Montana, Pennsylvania (excluding the coast), Idaho (excluding the valleys) and Upstate New York are the most similar climatically. The main differences are that Pennsylvania and New York are even more humid and have more hemiboreal regions mixed in, while only Michigan and places near the Canadian border are hemiboreal in the Midwest; while Montana and Idaho are often quite arid (similar to the states below them but colder), plus a considerable Mediterranean influence in Idaho.
Vegetation is undoubtedly most similar to the Upland South (Kentucky, Tennessee, most of Virginia, most of Maryland, D.C., western North Carolina, northern Georgia, northern Arkansas, Oklahoma and northern Alabama), as both have the nation's most horrid winter scenery. The main difference is that the Midwest was glaciated in the last glacial period and is currently full of Warm Continental (no palms, magnolias, etc.) climates, while the Upland South was always forested and is currently full of Humid Subtropical (so you can still at least grow things) climates.
Although to be fair, comparing the entire Midwest to one region is very difficult. The eastern parts of the Midwest are more like inland Pennsylvania/New York than they are to even the western parts of the Midwest, while the western parts of the Midwest are mostly semi-arid steppe and can even be desertlike (no wonder North Dakota and Kansas got 121F!) in places; besides, the Dakotas have badlands near their west ends, and someone from western Nebraska mom talks to describes his climate as a "really cold desert" with long, cold winters and really hot summers.
No other climate nor vegetation regimes are close enough to the Midwest for me to call them "similar."
However, I'd say Montana, Pennsylvania (excluding the coast), Idaho (excluding the valleys) and Upstate New York are the most similar climatically. The main differences are that Pennsylvania and New York are even more humid and have more hemiboreal regions mixed in, while only Michigan and places near the Canadian border are hemiboreal in the Midwest; while Montana and Idaho are often quite arid (similar to the states below them but colder), plus a considerable Mediterranean influence in Idaho.
Vegetation is undoubtedly most similar to the Upland South (Kentucky, Tennessee, most of Virginia, most of Maryland, D.C., western North Carolina, northern Georgia, northern Arkansas, Oklahoma and northern Alabama), as both have the nation's most horrid winter scenery. The main difference is that the Midwest was glaciated in the last glacial period and is currently full of Warm Continental (no palms, magnolias, etc.) climates, while the Upland South was always forested and is currently full of Humid Subtropical (so you can still at least grow things) climates.
Although to be fair, comparing the entire Midwest to one region is very difficult. The eastern parts of the Midwest are more like inland Pennsylvania/New York than they are to even the western parts of the Midwest, while the western parts of the Midwest are mostly semi-arid steppe and can even be desertlike (no wonder North Dakota and Kansas got 121F!) in places; besides, the Dakotas have badlands near their west ends, and someone from western Nebraska mom talks to describes his climate as a "really cold desert" with long, cold winters and really hot summers.
The comparison to Idaho and Montana doesn’t make much sense to me. Most of the Midwest looks and feels exactly like inland parts of the east coast states. It’s just the inland eastern US. The transition to plains or semi-arid doesn’t even happen until what, western Nebraska? Maybe western Nebraska is a bit like Montana, but not really.
Went with Great Plains. You dont have the Atlantic influence on fronts, storms, and moderation. Plains get the heat, droughts, arctic blasts, snow, clippers, and the inland storm bombs. As far as humidity I would say its the same but you're slightly more humid.
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