A cooler lean to the temperature outlook, including projections for less heat in the eastern half of the Lower 48, helped send natural gas futures a few cents lower in early trading Monday. The July Nymex contract was down 4.1 cents to $3.174/MMBtu at around 8:50 a.m. ET.

NGI Morning Natural Gas Price & Markets Coverage

The latest forecast from Bespoke Weather Services early Monday showed temperatures over the next two weeks trending slightly cooler compared to previous expectations.

“The best heat in the pattern remains in the western half of the nation, with models not showing as much risk for the return of eastern heat as they were hinting at last week,” Bespoke said. “Given the lack of eastern ridging showing up in current projections, the risk is that total” gas-weighted degree days “may be forecast a little too...