Natural gas pricing posted modest declines across the curve on the October 2026 contract’s first day at the front of the forward curve. The market ended an otherwise strong week on a down note. October gave up 3 cents to finish near $2.89 per MMBtu, while Winter 2026-27 slid by $0.04 to end the week near $3.40. Weekly gains were most pronounced at the front of the curve, where the prompt-month contract added 8 cents.
Traders are bracing for a round of significant heat in the coming days. With hot weather still lingering across the South, key population centers in the Midwest and East are expected to see major heat return next week. Population-weighted cooling degree days will be elevated but are expected to remain short of levels experienced earlier in the summer. With normal temperatures beginning to fall quickly at this point in the season, it will take extreme anomalies to drive outsized energy demand as the calendar rolls deeper into September.
An archive of Daily Natural Gas Market Notes can be found here.