Weekly natural gas cash prices climbed higher as summer heat lingered across much of the Lower 48, offsetting bouts of regionally cooler air and heavy rains ushered in by Hurricane Ida.

Storage report

NGI’s Weekly Spot Gas National Avg. for the Aug. 31-Sept. 3 period jumped 26.0 cents to $4.365, led higher by gains across the Midwest and Texas.

Ida crashed into Louisiana Aug. 29, delivering widespread wind damage and flooding rains that knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of customers. It also pushed offline natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), though the idled output was offset in part by cooler air early in the week.

Ida weakened as it moved up the East Coast, but it still packed a powerful punch, drenching major markets with record rains. New York City and...