UPDATE 1-Chilly forecast drives front US natgas futures to 6-wk high

* Mild weekend weather seen, but cold to return * Nuclear outages still running above normal * Coming up: Baker Hughes rig data, CFTC trade data Friday NEW YORK, March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. natural gas futures held modest gains early Friday, with the front-month contract posting a six-week high on fairly chilly weather forecasts for next week that should force homeowners and businesses to crank up their heaters. Cold late-winter weather has helped push the front contract up about