PORTLAND, Ore. — If you've filled up your gas or diesel-powered car recently, you've likely seen those prices rise since that last fill-up. AAA said that over the last month, gas prices in Oregon have risen by 20 cents.
The week of April 17-21 saw the average gallon of gas rise above $4 for the first time since December. AAA released a report on April 25 that showed the average price for a gallon of gas remained above $4, reaching $4.09 a gallon — a 4-cent increase from the previous week.
Marie Dodds, AAA's director of government and public affairs, said that the continual rise in prices should continue for a few more weeks before leveling out.
"In a normal year or typical year, we tend to see prices peak sometime in May for the spring and then tend to settle down over the summer months," Dodds said. "Obviously areas that get a lot of tourists tend to see elevated prices because of supply and demand, but that's generally how things work over the summer time."
There are a few factors contributing to the rise in prices.
In early April, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, otherwise known as OPEC+, said that it would cut oil production by just over 1 million barrels a day for the rest of the year. That news sent the price of crude oil above $80 a barrel for a few weeks, but the week of April 24 saw crude oil prices dip below $80.
According to the EPA, crude oil makes up about 53% of the cost for a gallon of gas. The rest comes from marketing, distribution, taxes and markup.
May 1 is the federal deadline for states to switch over to a summer fuel blend, a costlier yet more environmentally friendly blend of fuel. California has a deadline of April 1, which likely contributed to higher gas prices on the West Coast compared to other states that have a later deadline.
Dodds said that the longer spring nights tend to see more people driving, thus creating more of a demand as cars and trucks use more fuel.
"The good news is, this is a much more normal year," she said. "Last year, things were crazy because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and then last fall we had a number of refinery outages here on the West Coast that sent our prices above $5 a gallon in the fall, when we normally see prices decline. So I like this year, what I'm seeing in the crystal ball."
The West Coast has some of the most expensive gas prices in the country. The national average is $3.66 a gallon, which is almost a dollar cheaper than Washington's average at $4.58.