Released December 03, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
en
Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)
A parade of systems similar to an Alberta Clipper brought cold air and heavy snow to parts of the Midwest during the weekend. Parts of the greater Chicago metropolitan area received as much as 10 inches of snow, and O'Hare International Airport set a record for single-day snowfall in November, according to the National Weather Service.
Muskegon, Michigan, located along the shores of Lake Michigan, received upwards of 14 inches.
Subscribers can read a Breaking Energy News feature that highlights the weather patterns expected over the next week.
The seemingly sudden onset of winter, meanwhile, has translated into an uptick in demand for natural gas for heating.
"Freezing temperatures across the West and Midwest lifted residential and commercial demand to 45 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) over the past two days, an increase of 6 Bcf/d," according to a Tuesday report by NATGAS TODAY. That's a 15% increase during the period.
Just residential consumer demand was 38.18 billion cubic feet (Bcf) on November 28, so-called Black Friday. By Monday, after the storms hit the Midwest, demand levels were closer to 46 Bcf.
By the Numbers
That may be true long-term, but much of the nation east of Michigan's Great Lakes is in for major storms this week. The Pittsburgh airport, located near the southwest Pennsylvania shale patch, should escape major snowfall from this system, though the weather service has issued warnings and advisories from Connecticut to Maine.
Pennsylvania could still see some weather-related issues with shale, however. IIR Energy in its NATGAS TODAY report put total Pennsylvanian gas production at 21.5 billion cubic feet, some 2.6% below end-of-November levels, but 2.6% above the full-month average.
The EIA expects Henry Hub to average $3.47 per MMBtu this year and climb to $4.02 by next year. Apart from home-heating demand and a decline in energy efficiency, a steady surge in exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are creating domestic supply-side strains.
"Natural gas prices typically rise during the winter as demand for space heating increases and consumption of natural gas peaks for the year," an EIA analyst wrote last month. "This winter, we expect rising LNG exports to increase demand for U.S. natural gas as well."
Key Takeaways
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Summary
Despite federal forecasts for a mild winter, an early blast of snow is blanketing states east of the Mississippi River. As a result, regional demand for natural gas is on the rise.At Least a Foot of Snow
With much of the U.S. Midwest still digging out from heavy weekend snows, data from IIR Energy show regional consumer and residential demand for natural gas for heating jumped 15% over the last two days.A parade of systems similar to an Alberta Clipper brought cold air and heavy snow to parts of the Midwest during the weekend. Parts of the greater Chicago metropolitan area received as much as 10 inches of snow, and O'Hare International Airport set a record for single-day snowfall in November, according to the National Weather Service.
Muskegon, Michigan, located along the shores of Lake Michigan, received upwards of 14 inches.
Subscribers can read a Breaking Energy News feature that highlights the weather patterns expected over the next week.
The seemingly sudden onset of winter, meanwhile, has translated into an uptick in demand for natural gas for heating.
"Freezing temperatures across the West and Midwest lifted residential and commercial demand to 45 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) over the past two days, an increase of 6 Bcf/d," according to a Tuesday report by NATGAS TODAY. That's a 15% increase during the period.
Just residential consumer demand was 38.18 billion cubic feet (Bcf) on November 28, so-called Black Friday. By Monday, after the storms hit the Midwest, demand levels were closer to 46 Bcf.
By the Numbers
- 3% fewer heating-degree days this winter
- 6 Bcf/d spike in Midwest gas demand after storms
- 14 inches of snow in parts of West Michigan
That may be true long-term, but much of the nation east of Michigan's Great Lakes is in for major storms this week. The Pittsburgh airport, located near the southwest Pennsylvania shale patch, should escape major snowfall from this system, though the weather service has issued warnings and advisories from Connecticut to Maine.
Pennsylvania could still see some weather-related issues with shale, however. IIR Energy in its NATGAS TODAY report put total Pennsylvanian gas production at 21.5 billion cubic feet, some 2.6% below end-of-November levels, but 2.6% above the full-month average.
Natural Gas Prices on the Rise
Meanwhile, Henry Hub, the U.S. benchmark for the price of natural gas, was trading near a 52-week high early Tuesday at close to $5 per million British thermal units (MMBtu). The EIA said it expects prices during the winter heating season to be about 2% higher than last year, and data from the American Gas Association shows energy efficiency has declined steadily since at least 2007, potentially adding more burden to U.S. consumers.The EIA expects Henry Hub to average $3.47 per MMBtu this year and climb to $4.02 by next year. Apart from home-heating demand and a decline in energy efficiency, a steady surge in exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are creating domestic supply-side strains.
"Natural gas prices typically rise during the winter as demand for space heating increases and consumption of natural gas peaks for the year," an EIA analyst wrote last month. "This winter, we expect rising LNG exports to increase demand for U.S. natural gas as well."
Key Takeaways
- Severe winter weather led to a spike in natural gas demand
- But U.S. government forecasts point to mild winter
- Much of the eastern U.S. was under weather warnings
About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
