Gas prices in the Midwest have skyrocketed to new highs, breaking records in some areas, while Virginia prices today are the 6th lowest in the nation and more than 80 cents less than prices in some Midwest states. Only South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana have lower gas prices than Virginia.
“Refinery upgrades and unexpected refinery outages, just as the busiest travel season of the year gets underway, have resulted in a highly unusual run up in gasoline prices in the Midwest,” said Martha Mitchell Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.
Record high prices in North Dakota ($4.24) on Wednesday of this week topped out at a full 58 cents higher than the national average and 99 cents higher than South Carolina, the lowest priced state in the 48 contiguous states. Six states in the central to western part of the nation now have gas prices over four dollars per gallon.
Recent trends in other parts of the country are not expected to impact Virginia gas prices, according to AAA. “Refinery issues, as a general rule, only impact those markets which they serve. That is good news for Virginia motorist as the recent spikes in the Midwest are highly unlikely to cause prices in Virginia to rise,” said Meade.
AAA’s travel forecast projects that the average motorist will drive 690 miles round trip over the Memorial Day weekend. Lower gas prices in Virginia, a welcome relief for motorists, mean that travelers will spend approximately $2.68 less filling their tanks this year than in 2012.
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Chris Graham
