L.A. Gas Prices Inch Higher

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Gas prices in the Los Angeles area inched up slightly after soaring 8.1 cents last week to mark the sixth consecutive week of increases, but they are expected to climb sharply again at the end of February, said the Automobile Club of Southern California.


The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area edged up 1.6 cents to $2.606 on Friday from $2.590 one week ago. Last Friday, they jumped 8.1 cents. The price was $2.339 per gallon one month ago and $2.096 one year prior. Prices haven’t hit a new record high since Sept. 6.


“Wholesale gasoline prices have dropped across the country and West Coast gasoline inventory is strong,” said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. “That actually led to a slight decline in pump prices in the last few days, although overall averages are still higher than at this time last week. However, oil industry analysts expect wholesale prices to start heading up again once the more expensive summer-grade fuel starts going on the market at the end of February.”


The Orange County area had the lowest average price in Southern California, rising 1.8 cents to $2.565. The Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc area had the highest gas price, climbing four-tenths of a cent to $2.738.


The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline each Friday.

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