Gas Prices Up In All States; National Average Highest Since 2019

ACROSS AMERICA — If you’ve noticed gasoline prices have been going up in recent weeks, you’re not alone.

Average gas prices, on the week and the month, have increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as of Monday. The national average, at $2.72 per gallon, is a 30-cent increase from a month ago and 28 cents more than this time last year, according to a AAA report. It’s the most expensive daily average since August 2019.

California has the highest average gas price, at $3.68 per gallon as of Monday, while Hawaii, Washington and Nevada are now above a $3-per-gallon average now as well.

The average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in the Golden State is $3.69, with the average rate for midgrade gas at $3.86 and $3.99 for premium.

Part of the reason for the gas price increase is the winter storm that crippled Texas and much of the American South in February. Twenty-six U.S. refineries were pushed offline, as refinery utilization went from the average 83 percent to 68 percent, AAA reported, citing information from the Energy Information Administration.

“Barring hurricane season, March may bring the most expensive pump prices of 2021,” said Jeanette Casselano McGee, a AAA spokesperson. “While the month is roaring in like a lion, by the end of it we could see some relief at the pump as refineries resume normal operations.”

But it’s not likely to come right away.

The average national gas price could hit $2.80 by the end of March, a AAA projection shows. That could mean an increase of 5 to 10 cents per gallon in local markets.