(LOS ANGELES, May 28, 2004 ) — Motorists hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend, the traditional beginning of the summer driving season, will pay record high prices at many destinations, 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 $2.367 a gallon, which is 4.8 cents higher than last week, 19 cents higher than last month and 58 cents higher than last year. In San Diego , the price is $2.369, which is 1.4 cents above last week, 18 cents higher than last month and 62 cents above last year. Motorists in the central coast pay an average price of $2.487, which is 5.3 cents higher than last week, 19 cents above last month and 59 cents higher than last year.
“Gas prices are as high as they have ever been at many places in Southern California, but there could be a silver lining in this cloud,” said Auto Club spokesperson, Carol Thorp. “In recent days, we’ve observed prices rising much more slowly. Pump prices may be near a plateau, and conditions indicate there could be declines between now and the Fourth of July. But we expect strong demand for gasoline later this summer to push prices to at or above their current levels.”
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., May 28:
| Area | Regular | Change from last week | Record Price |
Los Angeles–Long Beach | $2.367 | + 4.8 cents | $2.367 (5/28/2004) |
Orange County | $2.350 | + 1.4 cents | $2.351 (5/26/2004) |
San Diego | $2.369 | + 2.8 cents | $2.373 (5/26/2004) |
Santa Barbara–Santa Maria- Lompoc | $2.487 | + 5.3 cents | $2.487 (5/28/2004) |
Riverside–San Bernardino | $2.393 | + 1.2 cents | $2.397 (5/26/2004) |
Bakersfield | $2.382 | + 2.5 cents | $2.382 (5/28/2004) |
Las Vegas, NV | $2.278 | + 3.9 cents | $2.279 (5/26/2004) |
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