In 2018 I returned to Iran to study Persian at Dehkhoda. I stayed from January until July and lived through the full breadth of weather Tehran has to offer. Throughout winter, more often than not, the city disappears in a thick layer of smog (see first image) so that the rare days with wind or snowfall provide moments of awe: Suddenly, you can see the Tochal mountain range towering over its northern outskirts.