With the arrival of spring, gas prices are spiking across the country with some states seeing double-digit increases for the week.
The national average for regular jumps six cents to $2.62 a gallon while the Oregon average spikes nine cents to $3.06. The Oregon average climbed above $3 per gallon on March 22 for the first time since May 8 through Aug 16, 2015, and is one of five states with an average at or above $3. The national average is at its highest price since Sept. 18, 2017, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.
Prices in Hermiston remain under $2.80 per gallon.
“We’re seeing refineries across the country starting to purge winter-blend gasoline to make room for summer-blend, and many refineries go off line for maintenance. This creates a temporary crimp in supplies, one of several factors putting upward pressure on pump prices,” says Marie Dodds, public affairs director for AAA Oregon/Idaho. “AAA projects gas prices could climb another 20 to 40 cents before leveling off in the coming weeks.”
Summer-blend fuel is a formulation required in many urban areas during the spring and summer months to reduce air pollution. The difference between summer- and winter-blend gasoline involves the Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) of the fuel. RVP is a measure of how easily the fuel evaporates at a given temperature. The more volatile a gasoline (higher RVP), the easier it evaporates. Winter-blend fuel has a higher RVP because the fuel must be able to evaporate at low temperatures for the engine to operate properly, especially when the engine is cold. Summer-blend gasoline has a lower RVP to prevent excessive evaporation when outside temperatures rise. Reducing the volatility of summer gas decreases emissions that can contribute to unhealthy ozone and smog levels.
Oregon is one of 46 states and the District of Columbia where gas prices are higher week-over-week. Five states are experiencing double-digit increases: Utah (+15 cents), Idaho (+14 cents), New Mexico (+12 cents), Delaware (+12 cents) and South Carolina (+11 cents). Oregon’s weekly increase is the 10th largest in the country at nine cents. The only states with decreases for the week are Ohio, Hawaii, Montana and North Dakota and all of these declines are just one cent or less.
Oregon is one of 48 states and the District of Columbia where prices are higher now than a month ago. The national average is 10 cents more and the Oregon average is 14 cents more than a month ago. This is the third-largest monthly increase in the country. The largest is in Michigan (+21 cents). The largest monthly decrease is in North Dakota (-2 cents).
