For the next three months, forecaster WSI Corp. is forecasting cooler-than-normal temperatures in the central and southern Rockies, central and southern Plains and Pacific Northwest.Warmer-than-normal temperatures are expected in California and Nevada, the northern Rockies and Plains, as well as all areas east of the Mississippi River.

The seasonal outlook, which references a trailing 10-year normal, indicates heating demand will drop significantly in March and April, particularly in the Northeast.

That should push natural gas and power prices down substantially, particularly when compared to current spot market prices,” WSI reported. “It may also ease concerns about meeting gas demand during March and meeting electric load during the traditional March-April outage season. Above-normal temperatures during May could mean an early start to the cooling season.

In March, WSI expects slightly warmer-than-normal temperatures east of the Mississippi River, with the largest anomalies in the Southeast. Slightly cooler-than-normal temperatures are expected west of the Mississippi River, with the largest anomalies in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies.

In April, there will be slightly warmer-than-normal temperatures in California and Nevada, and from the northern Rockies to the East Coast, including the Southeast and much of the Gulf Coast, according to forecasters. Warmest temperatures, relative to normal, are expected in the northern Plains and Great Lakes states.

Cooler-than-normal temperatures are expected in the Pacific Northwest, central and southern Rockies and central and southern Plains, with the largest anomalies expected in the southern Plains.

For May, expect warmer-than-normal temperatures everywhere except the central and southern Plains, said WSI forecasters. Warmest temperatures, relative to normal, are expected from the northern Rockies to New England, and cooler-than-normal temperatures are expected for the central and southern Plains states.

“We expect below-normal temperatures to develop in March in the Pacific Northwest,” said Dr. Todd Crawford, WSI’s forecaster. “We also expect the March-May period to average slightly warmer-than-normal in the mid-Atlantic states.”

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