Why gas prices are rising again in California and the US - KCRA Sacramento
Why gas prices are rising again in California and the US
California drivers paying more now for gas than they have over the last 3 months
After seeing a bit of relief at the gas pump, drivers across the country are now paying some of the highest prices for gas in nearly three months, according to AAA.
AAA reports that the national average for a gallon of regular gas on Thursday was $3.27. In California, the average price per gallon is $4.63 for regular, unleaded gasoline.
AAA said these averages have climbed about 11 cents a gallon in the last week alone.
In California, Thursday's prices are still below the year-ago average of $4.74.
Some Northern California gas price averages on Thursday were as follows:
- Stanislaus County: $4.31/gallon
- San Joaquin County: $4.35/gallon
- Yolo County: $4.45/gallon
- Sacramento County: $4.40/gallon
- Placer County: $4.55/gallon
- El Dorado County: $4.57/gallon
Industry analysts said some of this jump in prices at the pump is normal. Gas prices always rise as winter winds down, they said, as demand increases and gas stations must switch over to more expensive, summer fuel blends – a switch that’s already underway in southern California.
Industry analysis also blamed the price jump on a recent, week-long outage at the largest refinery in the Midwest, which they said, took a bite into the gas supply.
Those analysts also said it's common for us to see prices rise as we move into the higher demand months after January and February when demand for gas is historically at its lowest.