What a difference a week can make; near-record-high temperatures followed the Arctic blast that descended upon the U.S. last week, and it’s melted much of the recent snow cover, especially in the Plains. While cooler-than-normal temperatures will be common in the next few days, the general trend is warmer from the Rocky Mountains east. While warm air will be a major feature of the forecast for the central U.S. and Corn Belt to start March, that doesn’t mean cooler air is out of the question moving into April and beyond. There’s not much of a correlation between March and April temperatures, but the chances are good that the latter month — when more farmers begin spring field work and corn and soybean planting — will see seasonable or warmer temperatures. Despite a relative cooldown coming early next week, much of the Midwest and Southeast will see warm temperatures this weekend. See more from the latest outlook.