Gas tops $3 per gallon in Pittsburgh, national average could be there soon

Gas prices have topped $3 per gallon in the Pittsburgh area, and the nation is likely to be there soon, too.

In Pittsburgh, the average price is $3.05 per gallon, up 12.5 cents from last week, according to GasBuddy. That’s 29.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago, and 13.7 cents per gallon more than a year ago.

The national average is also up, but remains under $3, at $2.83 per gallon, up 7.4 cents from last week. That’s 28.7 cents per gallon more than a month ago, and 12.2 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

The national average has been going up for nine straight weeks, adding 57 cents per gallon, which is costing Americans $200 million more each day than at the start of the year, said Dan McTeague, senior petroleum analyst with GasBuddy.

“The effect of rising prices isn’t about to let up as a spate of refinery outages on the West Coast and in California has given way to a tightening of summer blended gasoline in advance of the summer driving season set to kick in in the weeks ahead,” McTeague said.

“Even with early signs of markets reaching their heights for California-spec fuel, the damage has been done and gas prices are still playing catch up to the highs of April,” he said. “With California pump prices now firmly over $4 a gallon, the march to $4.15 may be attained in the weeks ahead before any relief, while the rest of the nation faces the prospect of $3 a gallon by month’s end.”