Persistently anemic weather-driven demand and weak spot prices once again weighed down natural gas futures on Friday, marking a fifth-consecutive day of losses and culminating a brutal week that saw the prompt month give up nearly 50 cents in total.

The December Nymex contract shed 5.4 cents day/day and settled at $2.888/MMBtu on Friday. January fell 5.3 cents to $3.031.

As they did all week amid mild weather across the country, spot gas prices declined, led lower by drops in the Midwest and Northeast. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. dropped 22.0 cents to $1.950.

Temperatures shifted from chilly in late October to unseasonably comfortable throughout the Lower 48 early this month. Forecasters expect that, by Nov. 10, gas demand would have dropped more than 100 Bcf from the...