Natural gas traders on Wednesday struggled with which side of the $3.00/MMBtu mark the prompt-month futures contract should roll off the board. With an uncertain weather outlook weighing heavily on the market, the November Nymex contract expired 2.3 cents lower at $2.996. December, which moves to the front of the curve on Thursday, fell 2.0 cents to $3.291.

Spot gas prices were mixed as chilly air intensified across the country’s midsection. NGI’s Spot Gas National Avg. climbed 8.5 cents to $3.025.

With weather becoming increasingly important given the fast approaching start of winter for the gas markets, the current cold blast was propping up demand as far south as Texas. Whether that chilly air lasts, though, is so far unclear to traders weighing an increasingly tight...