Prices were up by generally small amounts at most points Monday as seasonal winter weather was returning to most of the East. The previous Friday’s surge of 20.4 cents by futures and the return of industrial load from its usual weekend hiatus also helped to boost the cash market.

A large majority of quotes were flat to nearly a quarter higher, but few of the increases exceeded single digits. Losses that ranged from a little less than a nickel to about a dime were concentrated in the West and Midcontinent. Most increases of a dime or more were at Northeast citygates.

February futures began their three-day countdown to expiration with a loss of 9.7 cents after a brief foray into positive territory Monday morning (see related story).

Snow showers were likely Tuesday in both the Midwest and Northeast as a return to more seasonal weather follows the bitter cold conditions that enveloped much of North America in late December and the first half of January, according to The Weather Channel (TWC).

A winter storm that plagued part of the West going into the weekend had departed eastward, and although another Pacific storm was targeting Southern California, snowfall would largely be confined to the mountain areas, TWC said.

The South had cooled off quite a bit since the end of last week but is only rarely getting below freezing Tuesday, according to Madison, WI-based Weather Central.

A cold front is due later this week in the Midcontinent, a regional producer said. He thought quite a few people had bought extra gas for the weekend in anticipation, “but it hasn’t arrived yet.” Traders often buy more on the “fear factor,” he said, but in this case it hasn’t yet been justified.

February forecasts for the Midcontinent are indicating colder weather, he said, but he’ll believe it when he feels it. A utility buyer had said he was close to going short on storage earlier in January, the producer said, but now the buyer thinks he likely will be cutting down on injections next month after last week’s warm-up.

The producer said February bidweek prices had started higher Monday morning but were coming off a bit later due to futures weakness. He was seeing Panhandle Eastern basis at minus 13-14 cents.

A marketer in the Upper Midwest said it had turned colder again after some warmer days late last week. Weekend rain washed away some snow, “but not all of the piled-up stuff,” she said. Her area could expect highs in the teens for the rest of the week. There’s less heating load than in early January, but her company is still buying some spot gas for customers, she said.

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