AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- The average price for a gallon of regular unleaded across the Austin area jumped one cent this week to $2.18 a gallon, according to the AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch.
The Austin-San Marcos metro average is up one cent from last week's average of $2.17 a gallon. Drivers are paying ten cents more over a year ago, when the average was $2.08.
Across the state, drivers are paying an average of $2.24 - an increase of four cents over last week, and 15 cents over last year.
The El Paso area has the highest average in the state at $2.48 a gallon, while San Antonio drivers are paying the least at $2.14.
Across the country, drivers are paying an average of $2.57, up eight cents versus last week and 13 cents over a year ago.
Analysts say the impact of the extreme winter weather on Gulf Coast refineries is causing gas supplies to tighten and increase prices at the pump, very similar to the impact of a hurricane making landfall in the Gulf. Refineries come offline and until damage is assessed and operations are back-up and running, supply is tight especially with road conditions and power outages reducing fuel deliveries – if stations even have power to accept them.
Until things thaw out and refineries are running again, drivers should expect more expensive pump prices - which were already increasing ahead of the winter storm due to rising crude oil prices and cuts by OPEC+.
"We urge drivers in the impacted areas to avoid unnecessary travel and not rush to get gas," AAA Texas' Daniel Armbruster said. "These are temporary outages, not a shortage."
