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Gas prices has been increasing for the past few weeks as surveyed by American Automobile Association, higher prices is predicted in the future. The Florida hurricanes have increased wholesale gasoline and crude oil futures prices to near record heights and that could send retail prices soaring over the next couple of weeks.
"Wholesale gasoline and crude oil prices spiked as four hurricanes roared through Florida and the Gulf Coast. During that time, our gas prices continued lower," said Carol Thorp, a spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California, in a statement Friday. "Now the pendulum swing of high prices has hit California and there could be a couple of weeks of sharp increases before the pendulum swings back in the other direction."
The highest average price for a gallon of regular grade (87 octane) self-serve gasoline in the state is found in Santa Barbara, at $2.302. That's up just over a half cent in a month's time.
The lowest average is in Chico at $2.078. That's up 3.3 cents from Sept. 1.
The average in San Jose on Friday - and the lowest in the Bay Area - is $2.122, up 4.8 cents in a month's time. The highest average in the Bay Area is found in San Francisco at $2.249, up 3.5 cents since Sept. 1. Oakland averaged $2.195, up 3.9 cents since last month. The Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa area averaged $2.151, up 4.8 cents since Sept. 1.
The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.113 a gallon, which is 3 cents higher than last month. In San Diego, the price is $2.149, which is 4 cents above last month. In the Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties), the average price is $2.139, which is 4 cents above last month.
The auto club derives its averages from surveys of overnight credit card purchases from gasoline stations in most major markets in California.
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