Last reviewed on October 3, 2026.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration's Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report released on Thursday, March 5, 2026 estimated working gas in Lower 48 underground storage at 1,876 Bcf for the week ending Friday, February 27, 2026. That was a net withdrawal of 131 Bcf from the previous week, leaving inventories 53 Bcf below the 2021–2025 five-year average of 1,929 Bcf and 105 Bcf above the year-ago level of 1,771 Bcf.
Regional breakdown
| Region | Stocks (Bcf) | Net change | 5-yr avg | vs 5-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 322 | −42 | 388 | −17.0% |
| Midwest | 397 | −44 | 474 | −16.2% |
| Mountain | 187 | −4 | 129 | +45.0% |
| Pacific | 257 | −2 | 176 | +46.0% |
| South Central | 712 | −41 | 762 | −6.6% |
| Total Lower 48 | 1,876 | −131 | 1,929 | −2.7% |
Context: the end of a volatile winter
This report came four weeks after the largest withdrawals of the 2025–26 winter. In EIA data, stocks fell by 241 Bcf in the week ending January 23, by 359 Bcf in the week ending January 30 — matching the largest weekly withdrawal in the EIA's five-region history, first set in January 2018 — and by 252 Bcf in the week ending February 6. Those draws pushed inventories from above the five-year average in early January to below it by February.
Prices told the same story. The EIA's Henry Hub spot price, which had been near $3/MMBtu in mid-January, printed $30.72/MMBtu on January 23, 2026 and averaged $7.72 for the month. By late February the spot price was back near $3 (it settled between $2.94 and $3.13 in the week ending February 27).
The week ending February 27 itself was a more ordinary late-winter withdrawal of 131 Bcf, with the East and Midwest — the big heating-demand regions — accounting for most of it.
How to read these numbers
The headline figure is the weekly net change. Markets compare it with the consensus of analyst estimates collected before the release, so a 131 Bcf withdrawal can be bullish or bearish depending on what was expected. The comparison with the five-year average tells you whether the market is carrying more or less gas than usual for the time of year. Our storage report guide explains each column, and the storage hub charts the full 2026 season.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report and weekly storage history (values as published with the October 1, 2026 release, which may include later revisions). Comparison values are the EIA's published five-year average and year-ago stocks for this report week. EIA weekly storage history.