Weather data: March had below average temperatures in Iowa, April predicted to be above average

March was chillier than it usually is. April is expected to be warmer than it normally is.

In its monthly climate report Monday for the Corridor, the National Weather Service put some hard numbers behind that bad news/good news scenario.

Here are some of them:

' Colder March: The normal average temperature for March in Cedar Rapids is 36.6 degrees. But the average for this March was 5 degrees colder at 31.6. The normal March average in Iowa City is 38.6. Last month, the average was nearly 4.1 degrees colder, at 34.55 degrees.

' Warmer April: The normal average April temperature is 49.2 degrees in Cedar Rapids and 51 in Iowa City. A year ago, both cities were colder than that normal by about 8 degrees. This year, forecasters think it'll be the opposite. Most of the Midwest including the Corridor is in a zone that has a 33- to 40-percent chance of being above the normal average.

A year ago, both Cedar Rapids and Iowa City recorded a high temperature of 84 in April 2018.

Indeed, warmer weather is on its way.