If you're taking a trip for spring break, be prepared to pay a little more at the pump.
As of Sunday, the national average for a California gallon of regular gas was $4.986, up about eight cents from last week and up about 35 cents from the average a month ago, according to the American Automobile Assn.
Drivers in Los Angeles County face higher rates, averaging $5,035. Across Southern California, Ventura County's average prices are slightly higher at $5,051, with San Bernardino County drivers and Orange County drivers seeing average prices just under $5 per gallon.
What contributes to these high prices? Crude oil prices typically rise this time of year and have reached prices of more than $80 a barrel, which is at the retail level where drivers buy gas, said Auto Club spokesman Doug Shoop. There is also increasing demand from drivers, who are increasingly heading out of the city to enjoy spring break.
“When you have that many people filling up their tanks… you're going to have upward pressure on station prices, and that's what we're seeing now at the pumps,” he said.
Within a few weeks, California will also switch to a summer gas blend, which could be as much as 15 cents per gallon more expensive than the current winter blend, Schaub said. Summer blend is more expensive because it is specially formulated to be difficult to evaporate at high temperatures, which is more expensive to produce, he said.
Gas prices in California are typically higher than most parts of the country due to the special environmental blends it uses, as well as high state gas taxes. The national average for a gallon of gas is $3,533, according to AAA.
