(LOS ANGELES – Feb. 23, 2012) –Southern California gas prices zoomed right past $4 a gallon over the weekend and posted one of the biggest one-day jumps ever between Wednesday and Thursday, 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 $4.186 per gallon, which is 7.3 cents more than Wednesday, 23.9 cents more than last week, 44 cents higher than last month, and 61 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $4.179, an increase of 6.6 cents from Wednesday, 23.5 cents from last week, 45 cents above last month, and 59 cents higher than last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.198, up 6.8 cents from Wednesday, 22 cents above last week, 43 cents higher than a month ago, and 56 cents above last year. In the Inland Empire, the average per gallon price is $4.142, up 6.8 cents from Wednesday, 23.9 cents above last week, 42 cents higher than last month, and 59 cents more than last year.
“Gas prices were already jumping by two to three cents a day when on Friday one of California’s major out-of-state gas suppliers, a Washington refinery, caught fire and will be shut down for at least a few weeks,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring. “That news sent prices soaring even more quickly and prices are now within 10 to 20 cents of the high point for 2011 prices reached last May.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 11 a.m. on Feb. 23, averages are:
Area | Regular | One-week change | Record Price |
Los Angeles – Long Beach | $4.186 | +23.9 cents | $4.626 (6/21/08) |
Orange County | $4.186 | +24.7 cents | $4.598 (6/19/08) |
San Diego | $4.179 | +23.5 cents | $4.630 (6/19/08) |
Santa Barbara – Santa Maria – Lompoc | $4.198 | +22.0 cents | $4.709 (6/21/08) |
Riverside – San Bernardino | $4.142 | +23.9 cents | $4.614 (6/22/08) |
Bakersfield | $4.136 | +26.6 cents | $4.591 (6/24/08) |
Ventura | $4.186 | +24.7 cents | $4.625 (6/18/08) |