By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Jun 28, 2011 at 5:11 AM

With Summerfest – the traditional start of summer in Milwaukee – just a day away, we thought it would be a good time to check the city's collective temperature.

Ryan Braun tops our thermometer, riding a career-high 17-game winning streak and is all but a lock to start the All-Star Game for the fourth consecutive year.

The first phase of the Milwaukee County I-94 resurfacing project is nearing an end and finally, things are returning to normal for westbound commuters.

And the mess in Madison continues with both sides pointing fingers, calling names and slinging mud ... it's only going to get worse as the recalls draw closer.

What's hot, what's cold ... what's in between, find out in this installment of the OnMilwaukee.com Heat Index.




Sizzling:
Ryan Braun – 17-game hitting streak; leads NL All-Star voting, will be first Brewers to start four straight mid-summer classics.
 


Hot:
Brewers – Three-game lead in NL Central as they near the halfway point.
Summerfest – Now, it's officially summertime in Milwaukee.
The Great Outdoors – Bars and restaurants open their patios for the season.
Festivals – More than the Big Gig, free events all summer long.


Warm:
I-94 resurfacing – Westbound leg almost finished, traffic slowly returning to norma.l
Menomonee River – Canal cleanup coming soon at no cost to taxpayers.
Downtown – Focus on improving nightlife is just another step in the right direction.
Gas prices – Dropping slowly ... very, very slowly.

Cool:
IndyCar – May have run its last lap in Milwaukee.
TalgoPrice tag for new train sets jumps nearly 50 percent.
 






Cold:
Another bridge closing – The Wisconsin Avenue bridge closes in October for a reconstruction project. It won't reopen until August 2012!
Lake Michigan – Water is cold!  Come on summer, heat up our lake. 





Sub-zero:
Weekend parking – Why not tell people they don't have to plug meters in Downtown Milwaukee?
State politics – Can't get any messier ... or uglier.