U.S. oil consumption in the final stretch of January dipped lower week/week as harsh winter weather in the eastern stretches of the country imposed travel delays. Production crept lower in tandem, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Wednesday.

A fierce winter storm pummeled major markets across the Northeast late last week with crippling snowfall from New York City to Boston that kept “jets grounded and road traffic mostly halted,” Rystad Energy analyst Louise Dickson said.

Demand and output, however, held well above year-earlier levels, according to EIA’s latest Weekly Petroleum Status Report. Rystad analysts anticipate both will climb on a weekly basis as the Arctic cold gradually lifts in February and travel is expected to rebound.

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