(LOS ANGELES, March 27, 2009) – The rare springtime dip in gas prices is now over as Southern Californians saw prices jump at the pump this week for the first time in a month, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.175 per gallon, which is 3.4 cents more than last week, six cents lower than last month, and $1.43 less than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.212, which is 4.7 cents more than last week’s price, four cents below last month, and $1.42 lower than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.276, up 3.4 cents from last week, four cents below last month, and $1.46 below last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $2.171, which is 3.8 cents higher than last week, six cents less than last month, and $1.44 less than last year.
“Oil industry analysts reported last week that we could probably expect gas prices to return to their normal springtime pattern of increases because of some spikes in the price of wholesale gasoline,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “Wholesale prices are going up because of the usual springtime factors: an increase in driving demand as the weather gets warmer, as well as typical supply issues caused when this area switches from using winter-blend to summer-blend gasoline to comply with air quality requirements.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 3:07 a.m. on March 27.
| Area | Regular | One-week change | Record Price |
| Los Angeles – Long Beach | $2.175 | + 3.4 cents | $4.626 (6/21/08) |
| Orange County | $2.173 | +4.8 cents | $4.598 (6/19/08) |
| San Diego | $2.212 | +4.7 cents | $4.630 (6/19/08) |
| Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc | $2.276 | +3.4 cents | $4.709 (6/21/08) |
| Riverside – San Bernardino | $2.171 | +3.8 cents | $4.614 (6/22/08) |
| Bakersfield | $2.284 | +3.7 cents | $4.591 (6/24/08) |
| Ventura | $2.216 | +5.4 cents | $4.625 (6/18/08) |