Meteorologists point out that this winter storm will be the most severe one in the United States so far this winter, and is also likely to be the one with the widest impact across the country in nearly five years. Affected by this, the demand for natural gas for heating in the United States has increased, while natural gas pipeline transportation restrictions and production capacity have been close to full load.
American meteorologists stated that starting today (January 23rd), a powerful winter storm is set to hit the U.S. East Coast, bringing more than a foot (30.48 centimeters) of snow, and freezing rain to many areas from Texas to Georgia. This storm is likely to affect nearly half of the U.S. population—an estimated 150 million Americans may be impacted by travel disruptions, power outages, and extremely cold weather, with up to 6,000 flights canceled. The Arctic cold wave could also pose challenges to the U.S. power grid. Meteorologists pointed out that this winter storm will be the most severe one in the U.S. so far this winter and is also likely to be the most widespread across the country in nearly five years. As a result, the demand for natural gas for heating in the U.S. has risen, while natural gas pipeline transportation restrictions and production capacity are already close to full load. Therefore, the U.S. natural gas market has fluctuated, and natural gas prices have surged.