Nautral gas prices soar as Arctic cold forecast to grip U.S.
A person takes a break from clearing a walkway along Bannock Street as the winter storm sweeps across the intermountain West, dropping temperatures to the single digits and bringing a light snowfall in its wake, in Denver on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
David Zalubowski | access point
Natural gas Prices rose more than 20% on Wednesday as an Arctic cold front was predicted to blast through the Upper Midwest and move south to grip much of the U.S. with frigid temperatures through the weekend.
Prices were about 25%, or 97 cents, to about $4.88 per million British thermal units.
Heating demand is expected to increase as wind chills drop to -50 degrees Fahrenheit across the Upper Midwest and Northern Plains. National Weather Service.
The NWS warned that windchill poses a risk of life-threatening hypothermia and frostbite on exposed skin. The federal agency said power outages could prolong the risk. It was stated that families should protect all pets from the cold.
Heavy snow is expected Friday in the southern high plains of Colorado and New Mexico, NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Owen Shieh said. social media.
The storm will spread from the southern plains into the Mississippi Valley and move into southern Appalachia, the Carolinas and the Mid-Atlantic Saturday night, Shieh said.
A major ice storm will hit Texas Friday night and spread into the Deep South and the Carolinas by the weekend, the meteorologist said. This could lead to dangerous journeys, downed trees and power lines, he said.
Freezing subzero and single-digit temperatures will also spread into the Ohio Valley and Northeast on Sunday, according to the NWS.
“Due to the large extent and long duration of extreme cold accompanying this winter storm, snow and ice will take longer to melt after the storm,” Shieh said. “You need to be prepared for the possibility of long-term effects that could potentially last several days.”
