* Cold temperatures expected for much of United States * Equities markets move higher NEW YORK, Dec 28 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose on Monday amid forecasts for colder temperatures lifting heating oil and crude oil futures and economic optimism fueling equities markets. The holiday week between Christmas and New Year's Day is often marked by thin volume that can result in volatility, sources noted. "Add to it the Iranian domestic political problems and another attempt at airline terrorism and therein lies fertile ground that may produce surprises," Mike Fitzpatrick, vice president at MF Global in New York, said in a note. U.S. Northeast temperatures were expected to average above normal on Monday, then turn below normal through Friday, private forecaster DTN Meteorlogix said. [ID:nDTN700] DTN said a fairly typical weather pattern will be in place for the season, with polar air dominant across most of the U.S. during the next week. [ID:nDTN699] The dollar rose against the yen in year-end positioning, but traded little changed against the euro in holiday-thin trade. [USD/] Japanese shares hit a four-month high, leading gains in Asian stocks on growing investor optimism about the global economy. [MKTS/GLOB] Wall Street edged higher at the open. [.N] PRICES * On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:19 a.m. EST (1519 GMT), February crude CLG0 was up 73 cents, or 0.94 percent, at $78.78 a barrel, trading from $77.76 to $79.12, highest intraday price since $79.92 was reached on Nov. 23. * In London, February Brent crude LCOG0 rose 80 cents, or 1.05 percent, to $77.11 a barrel, trading from $76.20 to $77.42. * NYMEX January RBOB RBF0 rose 3.12 cents, or 1.57 percent, to $2.0208 a gallon, trading from $1.9864 to $2.0285. * NYMEX January heating oil HOF0 rose 3.47 cents, 1.7 percent, at $2.0703 a gallon, trading $2.0389 to $2.0804. * January refined products contracts expire on Dec. 31. * The February/February RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> was at $6.88, after ending at $6.40 on Thursday. The February/February heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> was at $8.97, after ending at $8.31 on Thursday. * The spread between the current front month and the five-year forward crude contract CLc61 was at $13.27, based on the February 2015 contract Thursday settlement at $92.05. The spread ended Thursday at $14. MARKET NEWS * Chinese industrial profit nationwide rose 7.8 percent in the first 11 months from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said. [ID:nTOE5BR03E] * The United Arab Emirates deepened its curbs on some crude oil supplies to Asia for February, a move traders said may reflect the abundance of lighter distillate-rich grades in the market. [ID:nTOE5BR06Y] * Japan Energy Corp, the nation's sixth-biggest oil refiner, said on Monday it planned to refine 5 percent more crude oil in January-March from a year earlier. [ID:nTOE5BR02C] * Iran arrested at least 10 leading opposition figures on Monday, a day after eight people were killed in anti-government protests that erupted during a Shi'ite Muslim religious festival, an opposition website said. [ID:nDAH818871] * Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) (9501.T) said its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant resumed commercial operations on Monday for the first time since being damaged in an earthquake in July 2007. [ID:nTOE5BR064] * LyondellBasell Industries has restarted a crude distillation unit at its Houston refinery, a company spokesman said. [ID:nN28148185] (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by Walter Bagley)

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