(LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2007) — Gas prices continued rising by almost a penny a day in most Southern California cities over the past week, coming within 15 cents of the all-time record prices set last May, 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 $3.260, which is 5.5 cents higher than last week, 38 cents higher than last month, and 42 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $3.291, which is 6.6 cents above last week�s price, 38 cents above last month, and 47 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $3.365, up 5.6 cents from last week, 35 cents above last month, and 44 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $3.287, 6.3 cents above last week, 40 cents higher than last month, and 45 cents higher than last year.
�California still has by far the highest gas prices in the country, but other states� prices rose even more rapidly than California over the last week, and Nevada has just become the second state with a gas price average over $3 a gallon,� said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. �Crude oil prices have come down in the last week, but recent international incidents in the Middle East have added another layer of volatility to the market.�
The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., April 6:
| Area | Regular | One-week change | Record price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles – Long Beach | $3.260 | +5.5 cents | $3.402 (5/13/2006) |
| Orange County | $3.234 | +5.3 cents | $3.371 (5/17/2006) |
| San Diego | $3.291 | +6.6 cents | $3.438 (5/15/2006) |
| Santa Barbara - Santa Maria - Lompoc | $3.365 | +5.6 cents | $3.491 ( 5/16/2006) |
| Riverside - San Bernardino | $3.287 | +6.3 cents | $3.445 ( 5/15/2006) |
| Bakersfield | $3.288 | +6.9 cents | $3.450 ( 5/16/2006) |
| Las Vegas, NV | $2.951 | +7.6 cents | $3.176 ( 5/17/2006) |
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