Hotter

More seasonable temperatures arriving in the Northeast and Midwest, along with what could be a tropical depression or storm due in the eastern Gulf Friday, provided all the ammunition that bulls needed to carry cash prices higher across the board Wednesday. Gains ranged from about a nickel to 20 cents and were distributed fairly evenly on a geographic basis.

Classifying it as “once-in-30-years type coolness,” Weather 2000 said the eastern third of the United States has been devoid of summer heat and sun during the May-August 2003 period, with no real signs of change on the horizon. The New York City-based forecasting and consulting firm said East Coasters must travel west to America’s heartland to find any signs of summer 2003 warmth.

Classifying it as “once-in-30-years type coolness,” Weather 2000 said the eastern third of the United States has been devoid of summer heat and sun during the May-August 2003 period, with no real signs of change on the horizon. The New York City-based forecasting and consulting firm said East Coasters must travel west to America’s heartland to find any signs of summer 2003 warmth.

The tropical storm threat was fading, but hotter weather was returning in many areas, prompting mild firmness in the cash market Monday. Most points ranged from flat to as much as about 30 cents higher in the case of Transco Zone 6-NYC, but there were a few small downturns thrown into the mix.

Bolstered by the return of hotter weather to some regions and a screen gain of nearly a dime, nearly all points ranged from flat to about a nickel higher Tuesday. A PG&E citygate gain of slightly more than 15 cents, coupled with declines of about a dime at Malin and about 25 cents at Southern Border into PG&E, were the primary exceptions to mild firmness.

Hotter than normal temperatures should prevail through the heavily populated Northeast for the rest of the summer and into the fall, according to an updated weather forecast released last week by Weather Services International (WSI). The latest forecast backs up one issued in April by Salomon Smith Barney meteorologist Jon Davis, who predicts a chance of heat waves in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

Hotter than normal temperatures should prevail through the heavily populated Northeast for the rest of the summer and into the fall, according to an updated weather forecast released Wednesday by Weather Services International (WSI). The latest forecast backs up one issued in April by Salomon Smith Barney’s meteorologist which predicts a chance of heat waves in the Northeast and on the West Coast.

With summer and the expectation of hotter weather only days away, California regulators last week took several tiny steps aimed at squeezing more megawatts into the supply mix this summer and shoring up financially troubled Southern California Edison Co., the utility hovering on the edge of bankruptcy despite all the good news being spread around by state officials this week.

The cash market used Friday’s futures advance, along withexpectations of hotter weather this week, as a springboard toachieve across-the-board gains in double digits Monday.