Natural-gas futures are jumping 20%. It will be toughest test in a decade, one analyst says.

By Steve Goldstein Bitter cold is sending natural-gas futures soaring on Tuesday. Natural-gas futures skyrocketed on Tuesday in anticipation of a bitter cold stretch in the Northeastern part of the U.S. The front-month contract for natural gas (NGH26) soared 20% to $3.71. "The next two weeks look like they will present the stiffest test for Northeastern heating oil and natural gas markets in nearly a decade," said Tom Kloza, an independent oil analyst, in a comment on X. The National Weather Service said a "frigid" arctic airmass will result in temperatures 15 to 25 degrees Farenheit colder than usual in the Northeast and the Midwest. And the outlook through the end of January also looks bitter cold. The cold spell upends what had actually been a tepid winter, which along with rising Appalachia and Permian gas production, has driven what's still a 32% decline in natural gas prices from their December peak. -Steve Goldstein This content was created by MarketWatch, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. MarketWatch is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. (END) Dow Jones Newswires 01-20-26 0352ET