You thought it was over, didn't you?

Winter, I mean.

Last week's mild temperatures and major snow-melt put many in a spring state of mind. If you were one of those people, I'm sorry to report that it's still winter.

Heck, even when winter is over, it usually isn't over. While the calendar shows that winter ends and spring begins the third week of March, we all know that snow and cold can easily linger into April.

Milwaukee averages a total of 10 inches of snow in March and April. That's a depressing thought for those who already have visions of green grass and budding flowers in their minds.

You may remember that in 2008, we were clobbered by snow during March. Between 10 and 20 inches fell across Southeast Wisconsin. In contrast, last March was uneventful with only an inch or so.

The most memorable late-season snowfall may be the 3.2 inches that fell on Milwaukee on May 10, 1990.

You (or your parents) may remember the April 9, 1973 snowstorm. A heavy, wet 11.9 inches nearly paralyzed the city. The storm also produced thunder, lightning and wind gusts over 50 miles per hour. It also delayed the Brewers season opener for four days.

On the plus side, when it does snow in March or April, it doesn't stick around very long. That's because the average temperature warms quickly during those months. We go from an average high in the mid to upper-30s at the start of March to the upper 40s by the end of the month. The warming continues in April with the average high increasing to 60 by the end of the month.

While there's no telling whether snow in April or May is in the cards for 2011, it does appear that it will feel very much like winter for at least the next two weeks. Temperatures are expected to average below normal through at least the first week of March. Readings like that mean that if anything falls from the sky, it's a good bet it will be snow.

The mild temperatures that have been around for the past few days will stay around for a few more. In fact, it's going to get even warmer.

High temperatures on Wednesday will likely be in the mid 40s. That will be 10-15 degrees above normal. That will also be just the opening act for what may be a record-setting Thursday.

Thursday's high temperatures will be in the 50s. We'll likely threaten the record which is 55 degrees set in 1981. Despite the fact that it will be rather cloudy and perhaps rainy, we have a real shot at re-writing the record book that day.

Highs will fall back to the low 40s on Friday, still a bargain for mid-February. Indications are that the highs on Saturday and Sunday will be in the mid to upper 30s.

The long-range outlook for next week suggests there is a much higher than average threat for precipitation. While it's too early to be very specific, it appears that the week could both start and end with strong storm systems affecting Wisconsin.I'll keep you up to date here on OnMilwaukee.com. 

I'll keep you up to date here on OnMilwaukee.com. Plus, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

I first learned about periods in elementary school.

When I got a little older, I learned what comes after periods.

At some point between then and now, somebody changed what comes after periods.

And no one told me about it.

At some point between Mrs. Berg's typing class at Pewaukee High School in 1981 and today, somebody changed the rule about how many times you hit the space bar after typing a period.

Mrs. Berg taught us to double-space after a period. So, for the last 30 years, I have been following that rule.

An online column I read last week indicated you are supposed to single-space.

What?

When did this happen?

I was shocked not only about the fact that the double-space rule had been overturned, but even more so about the fact that I had never heard about it.

How did I miss this?

Was I sick the day this was announced?

Was I gone on vacation?

I have worked in communications my entire career. Granted, much of that was in the verbal communication arena. Still, I have done plenty of writing. I've worked side-by-side with people who write for a living. How did this never come up even once in conversation?

I had to find out when and how this happened, so I did some research. I discovered that every typographer, the people who study and design the typewritten word, agrees on the single-space rule.

I learned that the whole double-space thing got going with manual typewriters. They used monospaced type, which means each character occupied an equal amount of horizontal space. Monospaced type, or fonts, left quite a bit of space between certain characters, so in many cases it was difficult for the eye to quickly identify where one sentence ended and the next began. The double-space rule was born to make this easier.

Monospaced fonts were then eliminated with the invention of the electric typewriter, and later, the computer. Since then, we have had proportional fonts. That is, letters that take up only the space they need. Because of this, double-spacing a…

You would think that after a blizzard, complete with thunder, lightning and umpteen inches of snow, Mother Nature might back off a little.

Nope.

Following a quick visit to high temperatures near 30 this weekend, we're headed back to bone-chilling cold for next week.

All of next week.

Our expected high temperature around 20 on Monday will likely be the highest reading we see until the following weekend.

Here are my forecast high temperatures for the next 10 days:

Friday, Feb. 4: Around 20
Saturday, Feb. 5: Upper 20s
Sunday, Feb. 6: Around 30
Monday, Feb. 7: Around 20
Tuesday, Feb. 8: Around 10
Wednesday, Feb. 9: Low teens
Thursday, Feb. 10: 5-10
Friday, Feb. 11: Teens
Saturday, Feb. 12: 20s
Sunday, Feb. 13: 20s

 

There's nothing terribly unusual about the scenario we're facing. It's simply one of those cases in which bitter cold air, originating near the North Pole, will make a powerful push into the northern half of the U.S.

Combine that with the fact that we have 1 to 2 feet of snow on the ground, and it means bad news for our heating bills.

I'll keep you up to date here on OnMilwaukee.com. Plus, you can follow me on Twitter and Facebook.