Gas prices expected to continue ticking upward, analyst says

Average gas prices in the Pittsburgh area have gone up 12 cents in the past week to an average of $3.63 per gallon, according to price-tracking service GasBuddy.

Pittsburgh-area drivers are paying, on average, 19 cents more per gallon for gas than they did a month ago but about 14 cents less than a year ago, according to GasBuddy’s data.

The national average also has gone up over the past week, by nearly 9 cents per gallon, to $3.26. As in Pittsburgh, that’s higher than a month ago, about 17 cents per gallon, but less than a year ago, by about 12 cents, according to GasBuddy.

GasBuddy is predicting more increases are on the way.

“With Valentine’s Day now behind us, we have officially entered the time of year when gas prices traditionally start their spring fling, but we’ve already seen the streak of consecutive increases in the national average hit four weeks,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

How quickly and effectively refiners can finish presummer maintenance, start producing required summer gasoline and build up a supply of it before Memorial Day is critical to how much gas prices will climb, De Haan said.

“While the early start could also mean an early end, we still have as many as eight weeks that gas prices typically increase, and anything can happen between now and then,” he said.

State averages across the nation ranged from about $2.81 in Oklahoma up to $4.69 in Hawaii, according to AAA.

Pennsylvania’s statewide average was about $3.55 on Monday, according to AAA. That’s about 10 cents more than a week ago and 20 cents more than a month ago, but 14 cents less than a year ago.

County averages across the state ranged from $3.42 to $3.70 per gallon, with the lowest averages in the eastern areas of the state, according to AAA.

County averages in the Pittsburgh area:

• Allegheny: $3.64

• Armstrong: $3.57

• Beaver: $3.60

• Butler: $3.61

• Washington: $3.64

• Westmoreland: $3.65

Neighboring areas and their current prices, according to GasBuddy:

• Akron: $3.30, up 15 cents in the past week.

• Cleveland: $3.28, up 13 cents in the past week.

• West Virginia: $3.26, up 15 cents in the past week.

The national average price of diesel has increased 10 cents in the past week to $4.09 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.