$4 Gas Could Make Unwelcome Comeback In Southern California
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Southern California had a good run of manageable gas prices, but $4 per gallon of regular unleaded is back.
An unfortunate series of events – flooding in the Midwest, the shift to summer blend fuel and refinery fires in California – have all contributed to the spike in prices, according to the Automobile Club of California.
In the past month, the price of a gallon of self-serve regular in Los Angeles County have risen 55.2 cents over 30 consecutive days to $3.911 – the highest it's been since August 2015. If gas indeed hits $4 a gallon, it will be the first time since 2014.
One driver said he spent $80 to fill up his truck.
"It's stressful because there's a lot of other stuff you have to pay for, you know, food and everything else, so with gas prices going up, it's just an extra amount you have to account for," driver Edwin Tribueros said.
And with the summer travel and road trip season fast approaching, some people say they will have to forego their trips because of high fuel prices.
"This year, we haven't really traveled that much like we used to," Alice Thomas said. "We used to travel every three months, and now we can't because the prices – it just costs too much."
The national average for a gallon regular unleaded gas is $2.75.