Oil prices rose for the  third straight session on Tuesday, supported by cold weather  in the United States and Europe, seasonal gasoline demand, and  an expected drop in US crude stocks.

US crude for February climbed 33 cents to $89.70  a barrel by 0237 GMT. ICE Brent crude traded 24 cents  higher at $92.98.

Trading volume was expected to remain thin this week with  strong resistance seen at $90 a barrel and support at $88,  said Tetsu Emori, a fund manager at Tokyo-based Astmax Co Ltd.

"Oil prices are being driven by the oil product markets,  which have risen on driving demand for the Christmas season  and the cold in the north," Emori said.

US gasoline futures rose to an intra-day high of  $2.3856 a gallon, the highest since early May, on hopes that  holiday driving will boost demand.     

Heating oil and gas oil futures also gained as frigid  weather in the United States and Europe fuelled demand.

Heating oil demand in the world's largest oil user was  expected to be 4.6 percent above normal this week, according  to the US National Weather Service.

Weekly oil inventory reports were expected to show crude oil and distillate stocks fell last week, though gasoline  stockpiles were estimated to have risen, according to a  Reuters survey of analysts on Monday.

US oil inventory data from the American Petroleum  Institute is due later on Tuesday, with the government's  report following on Wednesday.

Snow and frigid temperatures grounded flights and  disrupted road and rail links across northern Europe,  stranding travellers and closing schools.

The dollar fell against a basket of currencies, while the  euro remained under pressure after ratings agency Moody's said  it may cut the ratings on some Spanish banks. -Reuters