A continued lackluster weather-driven demand outlook saw natural gas futures ease lower in early trading Monday, though strong export volumes were seen lending support to prices. The April Nymex contract was off 7.5 cents to $4.788/MMBtu at around 8:45 a.m. ET.

NGI Morning Natural Gas Price & Markets Coverage

The updated forecast heading into Monday’s session showed below-normal gas-weighted degree days for the 15-day outlook period, with changes “quite minimal” compared to expectations as of last week, according to Bespoke Weather Services. 

“The pattern exhibits a warm lean, especially in the near-term, though some high-latitude blocking is projected in the medium range,” Bespoke said. This blocking “is not as significant this time of year, compared with back in winter, but is enough to take the pattern closer to...