Drivers Feeling Pain At The Pump

(KNSI) – Gas prices are the highest they’ve been in ten years, and officials predict prices will continue to soar over the next few months.

In St. Cloud, AAA reports the average price for a gallon of regular is $3.302. That compares to $3.238 a week ago, $3.085 a month ago, and $2.330 in February 2021.

Gasbuddy’s Patrick De Haan predicts $4 gas this spring. “By Memorial Day, Americans are going to have to dig deeper with potentially an average of four dollars per gallon hitting us maybe even as early as late April or May. We have not hit that four dollar a gallon nationally outside of a two-week period (in) July 2008.”

AAA reports the national average for regular unleaded is $3.469/gallon. That’s up from $3.399 a week ago, $3.303 a month ago, and $2.469 a year ago. The AAA’s highest recorded average price was $4.114 in July 2008.

Officials blame the high cost of gasoline on increased demand for heating fuel this winter, refineries switching over to producing a more expensive summer-blend gas, and increasing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

The most expensive cities in the report are California ($4.68), Hawaii ($4.40), and Washington ($3.95).

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