Mildly

Traders returned to a fairly quiet market Monday in which prices increased by about a dime or less at most eastern points but by considerably larger amounts in the West. California was heating up rapidly and registered triple-digit recoveries from weekend softness.

Except for sizeable drops at non-Malin California points, the rest of the market managed to squeeze a bit more price firmness Thursday out of weather extremes ranging from unseasonably cool temperatures throughout much of the East and record-setting heat in parts of the West. Upticks in the East, Southwest basins and Pacific Northwest were quite mild, only rarely going above a nickel. The Rockies generally were up a dime or more, and Malin soared by well over a dollar.

The swing market continued to move higher Tuesday in the East and the Southwest basins, but at significantly reduced momentum. Most points ranged from flat to up about a nickel with only scattered points, mostly in the Northeast, realizing gains of more than a nickel.

Just as a couple of producers had predicted, the screen’s upturnMonday afternoon after being mildly negative earlier was enough togenerate a moderate cash rally Tuesday. Only the SouthernCalifornia border and Malin continued to head lower. Just as mostof Monday’s declines had been between 10 and 20 cents, the sameapproximate range applied to most of Tuesday’s rises.

Despite prospects for a potentially severe winter storm in theNortheast and moderate screen firmness, the cash market generallyranged from flat to down about 20 cents Friday, as falling weekenddemand made an impact. Northern California numbers retreated fromThursday’s spike, but the Southern California border tacked on morethan $2.50 to its market-leading average.

While the rest of the swing market began February flows atprices only moderately up or down from last-of-January levels innearly all cases, California numbers spiked in triple-digit amountsWednesday.

Much of the price hemorrhaging that dominated the latter half oflast week’s cash market was well on its way to being stanchedMonday. Eastern points were only a tad softer, with few falling anymore than about a nickel, and most western points realized small tomoderate gains.

Prices crept mildly higher in most cases Tuesday, continuing tofeed on an early preview of winter in much of the East. A greatmajority of points ranged from flat to about a nickel higher.Exceptions included downturns for Northwest-domestic, SouthernCalifornia border and a few Northeast citygates, along with aPG&E citygate gain of about 15 cents.

The market quieted down Friday as the weather-related excitementof last week receded. Eastern points, still just the teensiest bitnervous about the former Tropical Storm Helene and getting a bitchillier in northern market areas, ranged from flat to about anickel lower in most cases.