Gas prices up nationwide, with more increases on the way: Analyst

The expected increase in gas prices that comes with the arrival of warmer weather is indeed materializing.

Gas prices are up 10 cents a gallon nationally, to $3.34 a gallon, with the increase in Virginia up only marginally, 1.4 cents per gallon, to $3.21 per gallon, over where they were a week ago.

“A majority of the nation’s 50 states have seen gasoline prices rise, with the national average posting a gain for the second straight week, a trend that is hardly surprising for this time of year, and will likely continue as the entire nation has now made the first step toward summer gasoline,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

“The pinch at the pump has been manageable for now, with prices about 30 cents higher than mid-January, but that will likely change as we enter the madness we tend to see in March with refinery maintenance hitting its peak, impacting how much gasoline can be produced as we make the changeover to the summer blends. This always crimps supply, leading to further gas price increases,” De Haan said.

The one bit of good news in the weekly report from GasBuddy: the national average price of diesel has fallen 2.7 cents in the last week and stands at $4.03 per gallon.