Gas Prices Rising In WA: When To Expect Relief At The Pump

WASHINGTON — If you’ve noticed gasoline prices have been going up, 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.

Unfortunately for drivers in the Evergreen State, that $2.72 national average is pretty cheap by comparison. In Washington, the average price for regular gas is $3.09 per gallon, while midgrade gas is going for a $3.28 average and premium gas for $3.46.

That rate does very pretty significantly, even just across the Puget Sound region. For example in northern Seattle the average gas price can reach up to $3.40 per gallon. Outside the city prices are generally cheaper, with parts of Federal Way and eastern Tacoma even seeing prices lower than $3.00 per gallon.

A detailed breakdown of average gas prices per zip code can be found at GasBuddy.com.

Despite our steeper-than-average gas prices, Washington actually isn't the most expensive state for gas. That honor goes to California, at $3.68 per gallon as of Monday. Hawaii and Nevada are also top contenders.

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 locally.