SPOKANE, Wash. — As the price of oil jumped to its highest across the U.S. for the first time since 2008, Washingtonians are seeing an increase in gas prices. According to a GasBuddy study, gasoline prices in Spokane have risen 46 cents per gallon in the last week.
In the same short time frame, the average price for regular gas has also increased by 46.5 cents across the United States. On Sunday, the price of regular gas broke $4 per gallon on average across the U.S. On the same day in Spokane, the cheapest price for regular gas was $3.73 per gallon while the most expensive was $4.25.
“There are few words to describe the unprecedented rise in gasoline prices over the last week, with massive spikes coast to coast in both gasoline and diesel prices, as oil prices jump to their highest since 2008," Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy said in a statement. "Forget the $4 per gallon mark, the nation will soon set new all-time record highs and we could push closer to a national average of $4.50/gal."
Gas prices in Spokane have increased 49.1 cents per gallon over the last month and are $1.22 higher compared to this time last year. In California, gas prices could be heading for $5.50 per gallon with more stations charging $6 and beyond.
Across the state, the regular gas price increased by 44.3 cents, according to GasBuddy. As of Monday, March 7, the average price across Washington is $4.42, compared to last's week $3.98.
Current gas prices in neighboring areas:
Idaho: $3.97 per gallon, up 45.8 cents per gallon from last week's $3.50.
Yakima: $4.34 per gallon, up 47.4 cents compared to last week's $3.86.
"As we lose a major global producer under the weight of deserving bipartisan sanctions for invading a sovereign country, the cost is high," De Haan said in a statement. "Americans will be feeling the pain of the rise in prices for quite some time, with little good news foreseen."