Report: Wash. state now has highest gas prices in lower 48
By KOMO Staff
Published: Jun 2, 2012 at 3:30 PM PDT
SEATTLE - Washington state now has the highest average gas prices anywhere in the lower 48 contiguous states, surpassing even California, the AAA reports.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas rose to $4.29 on Friday and Saturday in Washington state. Mid-grade fuel is going for $4.40, and premium gas is selling for an average of $4.50 per gallon.
Those prices are about 2 to 3 cents per gallon higher than last week.
In Oregon, the second-highest state for gas prices in the lower 48, regular is selling for $4.26, mid-grade is $4.38 and premium is $4.49.
Meanwhile, in California, gas prices were beginning to drop, reaching $4.24 for a gallon of regular, $4.34 for mid-grade and $4.44 for premium.
The average price for a gallon of regular in the nation as a whole was $3.60 on Saturday.
AAA records show that average gas prices nationwide have been dropping steadily since the first week of April. But in Washington state gas prices have continued to rise steadily since the beginning of the year - bucking the national trend.
The higher prices here are mostly due to refinery issues - including the switch to new summer blends of gas and the three-month closure of the Cherry Point refinery near Blaine after a fire there in February.
But the Cherry Point refinery resumed normal operations this week, which should allow Washington state gas prices to stabilize and then ease, experts say.
The nation's cheapest gas prices were in South Carolina, where the average for a gallon of regular is $3.22 - more than a dollar less than in Washington. Mid-grade is $3.36 and premium is $3.51 in that state.
The only states with higher gas prices than Washington are Alaska and Hawaii, where the average price for regular is $4.52 per gallon as of Saturday. |
