Natural gas futures pared their recent losses early Tuesday as traders continued to mull a mixed shoulder season outlook that included modestly cooler forecast trends and weaker production estimates. 

NGI Morning Natural Gas Price & Markets Coverage

Coming off an 8.9-cent slide in the previous session, the November Nymex contract was up 3.7 cents to $2.877/MMBtu at around 8:40 a.m. ET.

The November contract probed lower Monday amid bearish weather-driven demand expectations for the Oct. 13-19 storage period, EBW Analytics Group analyst Eli Rubin said.

“If support crumbles, as technicals suggest, the front month could soon slide into the high $2.70s,” Rubin said.

Traders early Tuesday were left to contemplate a mix of developments, including some heating demand gains from recent weather model runs and weaker natural...