Area Gas Prices at Six Month High

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Call it "March Madness" at the pump, but Prince William County gas prices are at their highest since Sept. 16, 2013.

"It’s a sign the summer driving season is only a few months away," AAA Mid-Atlantic reports. "Unfortunately, with the arrival of the vernal equinox, fuel prices soared to their highest price point in six months."

AAA explained that refineries across the country are undergoing maintenance ahead of the EPA-mandated switchover to the production of more expensive summer-blended gasoline.

According to the automobile club, the national average price at the pump rose to $3.53 per gallon Friday, two cents above week ago prices, and 15 cents more expensive than one month ago. However, gas prices are actually 16 cents lower than they were last year at this time.

Locally, residents are seeing prices between $3.34-3.43 per gallon. The statewide average is $3.37, a 2 cent increase over the past week.

Consumers are beholding an annual springtime ritual: the often shocking increase in pump prices as the weather turns warmer,” said Martha M. Meade, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Although it is expected, it doesn’t make it any less painful. As we have seen in the past, any time gasoline reaches and surpasses $3.50 a gallon, many motorists are discomfited by pump prices. The one consolation this time is the likelihood that most consumers should still pay less to buy gas than in recent years.”

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