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

CALIFORNIA — If you’ve noticed gasoline prices have been going up in California, you’re not alone - in fact, California has the highest average gas price in the country.

Average gas prices, on the week and the month, have increased in all 50 states and the District of Columbia as of Friday. The national average, at $2.75 per gallon, is a 33-cent increase from a month ago and 31 cents more than this time last year, according to a AAA report. It’s the most expensive daily average since August 2019.

In California, the average price for regular gas is $3.72 per gallon, while midgrade gas is going for a $3.89 average and premium gas for $4.01.

As of Friday, this is the highest average in the country, but Hawaii, Washington and Nevada are now above a $3-per-gallon average as well.

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.