Gas Prices Likely To Keep Rising

DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - It seems like just yesterday, when you could fill your tank for less than $2 a gallon. No longer.

According to AAA Texas, the average price for regular unleaded in Dallas-Fort Worth jumped by a dime to $2.47 in the last week. AAA Texas Spokesperson Daniel Armbruster said, "When we look at last year, it's pretty close to the same pattern we're seeing. We saw a spike in demand in the springtime, as the weather warms up, and that's when more people are getting on the roadways."

The recent price hike can also be attributed to supply and demand. Armbruster said, "Demand is going up and supply is going down, because refineries are off-line right now for their routine maintenance they go through. And this is the time they switch over to the more-expensive summer blend gasoline."

Don't expect a break at the pump anytime soon. Armbruster said, "The price is certainly going to keep going up, because demand is going to keep picking up." With the summer driving season ahead, prices normally see a bump in June and July, level off and then start to drop after Labor Day.

AAA Texas says the statewide average for regular unleaded is $2.38. Drivers in Midland-Odessa are paying the most at $2.56. Some of the cheapest gasoline in the state can be found in the Texas Hill Country.

Here is an interactive map of gas prices in Texas.