Gas prices slip as warmth lingers and storage keeps growing

Natural gas prices nudged lower this week as warmer-than-usual air spread across much of the country. With fewer homes firing up furnaces and less demand from power plants, buyers have little reason to rush and bid up prices. At the same time, the nation’s storage tanks are already brimming, running well above the usual level for this time of year. Any extra gas pumped into underground caverns only adds to the oversupply, pushing traders to trim their offers to keep deals flowing. The shift is most noticeable now because the spring months typically see the smallest demand swings, creating a kind of pressure-cooker effect where even small changes in supply or weather can move prices noticeably.Analysts point out that the market is simply following its seasonal rhythm. As the heating season fades and air-conditioning season hasn’t yet kicked in, the gap between supply and demand widens, leaving prices more exposed to even modest shifts in either direction.