Heating Fuels to Miss Biting Cold of Past Two U.S. Winters

The biting cold of the past two winters in the U.S. may be delayed until January, if it comes at all, easing demand for heating fuels during their peak season.

While cold weather may make brief appearances in much of the U.S. this month, overall December temperatures will be above-normal and that may be a pattern for the winter of 2011-2012, said Jim Rouiller, senior energy meteorologist at Planalytics Inc. in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.