Cooler shifts in the latest weather data helped natural gas futures extend their recent upward momentum in early trading Wednesday. After adding 5.8 cents in the previous session, the May Nymex contract was trading 2.7 cents higher to $2.646/MMBtu at around 8:45 a.m. ET.

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Colder trends over the previous 24 hours from both the American and European models added 10-12 gas-weighted degree days (GWDD) to the forecast over the next two weeks, Bespoke Weather Services said early Wednesday. 

The colder changes resulted from models showing “more chill in the Midwest and East over the next couple weeks,” the firm said. “…It remains difficult for weather to move the needle much at this time of year, but double-digit GWDD changes in a 24-hour period are noteworthy…We continue to look...