Natural gas futures rose for a fourth day, the longest winning streak in four weeks, as forecasts showed colder-than-normal weather in the U.S., boosting demand for the heating fuel. Gas advanced as much as 2.9 percent as the National Weather Service reduced its temperature forecasts for eastern states from Dec. 11 to Dec. 15. Gas prices were at the lowest level since 2002 for the beginning of December. “Cold weather is the primary driver of gas prices,” said Brad Florer, a trader at Kottke Associates Inc., an energy trading firm in Louisville, Kentucky. “It looks like below- normal temperatures are going to hang on for most of the month, and that’s stifling the selling and lifting gas off the bottom.” Natural gas for January delivery gained 12.5 cents, or 2.9 percent, to $4.474 per million British thermal units at 9:11 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange after rising as high as $4.476. The winning streak is the longest since the four days ended Nov. 9. Prices are down 10 percent from a year ago. To contact the reporter on this story: Moming Zhou in New York at Mzhou29@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Dan Stets at dstets@bloomberg.net

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