Gas Prices Spike Earlier Than Normal

Gas prices shot up more than 10 cents in the past week, according to figures released by the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The uptick came just as travelers were planning for the three-day President's Day weekend. But spikes in gas prices at this time of year are nothing out of the ordinary, according to the Auto Club.

“These large increases are not unusual for mid-February, although we typically see them more often in March and April,” Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring said in a news release. “Unfortunately, even without this large increase, prices were already at record levels for February. If prices continue to increase at this pace, most areas will have averages above $4 a gallon in the next few week.”

The average price for regular grade gas was $3.903 in the Inland Empire region of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. The average price was up 11.2 cents over the previous week and 18.7 cents higher than last month and 45 cents higher than last year.

Other areas of Southern California were hit just as hard, as Ventura County's prices went up 13.3 cents over the previous week, while the Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo-Santa Maria area had the highest average price at $3.978.

For the latest gas prices in the area, check our traffic and gas map.