Natural gas futures shifted into neutral Tuesday amid some inconsistencies in the weather data and a dip in liquefied natural gas (LNG) demand. After four straight sessions in the green, the January Nymex gas futures contract settled flat on the day at $2.682. February also was nearly unchanged at $2.680.

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Spot gas prices were mixed across most of the United States, but big gains continued on the East Coast ahead of a second winter storm set to unleash frigid air on the region. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. climbed 21.0 cents to $3.245.

Though recent weather model runs have been far from bullish, the projected variability in the outlook for the balance of December had supported the gas market. The January Nymex contract tested $2.381 three times over the past week but hit an...