As traders and analysts continued to mull a somewhat leaner-than-expected storage print, and as mixed forecast trends continued to point to wide coverage of mild weather into mid-November, natural gas futures probed modestly higher early Friday.

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The December Nymex contract was up 4.0 cents to $3.512/MMBtu at around 8:43 a.m. ET.

The updated 11- to 15-day forecast period saw a mix of colder and warmer trends, resulting in “minimal change” to heating degree day projections nationally, according to Maxar’s Weather Desk.

“As was the case in earlier outlooks, the period begins with below normal temperatures in the South and above normal readings from the Interior West to the Midwest,” Maxar said. “Above normal temperatures then favor the Rockies, Plains, Midwest and...