Experts say the price of gas will be climbing in the coming weeks as the effects of California refinery outages and maintenance, as well as the annual switch to more pricey summer blends, begin to be felt throughout the country.
The national average price sat at about $3.16 per gallon on Wednesday, a four-cent raise from last month, according to AAA.
“The national average has inched higher, driven primarily by sharp gas price increases on the West Coast, where refinery maintenance and outages have created a ripple effect in neighboring states, pushing prices higher in many communities,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, told Yahoo.
De Haan believes the national average will climb by at least 25 cents per gallon, and perhaps by as much as 60 cents per gallon, by mid-April, and that the West Coast will see the steepest prices.
Planned seasonal maintenance to refineries in California have slowed production but other issues have also put pressure on the gas supply.
The Martinez refinery in northern California had to completely shut down due to a fire on February 1, which also had a major impact on gas production.