Gas Prices Shooting Up in Wa and Yakima and It's Not yet Summer

Gas prices on the rise in Yakima and Washington State as spring is underway and drivers prepare for summer gas prices.

FOR THE THIRD WEEK YAKIMA GAS PRICES ON THE RISE

Average gasoline prices in Yakima have risen 12.2 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $4.40 per gallon today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 91 stations in Yakima. Prices in Yakima are 50.4 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 31.9 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

A SHORT DRIVE TO GOODMAN ROAD AND YOU'LL FIND CHEAP GAS

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest gas station in the valley is priced at $3.93 per gallon at Wheeler's Smoke and Gas in Mabton. It's $3.95 a gallon at Ahtanum Fuel Stop on Goodman Road. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $3.85 per gallon while the highest was $5.49 per gallon.

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BOTH THE STATE AND NATIONAL AVERAGE PRICES ARE UP THIS WEEK

The average price of gas in Washington state has gone from $4.58 a gallon on Friday to $4.62 Monday. The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.5 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.57 per gallon today. The national average is up 17.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 0.8 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.

WE ARE LEADING THE NATION ON THE WEST COAST

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy says gas prices are being driven by maintenance on the West Coast, where prices have increased notably. He says only a handful of states are seeing declines over the last week.

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WE ARE PREPARING FOR THE SUMMER DRIVING SEASON

"With oil prices rising to nearly $87 per barrel last week, their highest since October, we are not only facing the seasonal factors that push prices up—refinery maintenance, the switch to summer gasoline, and rising demand—but also escalating crude oil prices as OPEC's production cuts continue to cause declining global oil inventories, with escalations between Iran and Israel adding to concerns of further destabilization."
He says the West Coast will continue to see price hikes this month as we approach the summer driving season and transition to the summer gas blend.

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