Gas Prices Jump In Last Two Days

After leveling off for the Thanksgiving holiday, the price of gasoline jumped suddenly this week, rising four cents a gallon since last Friday, with much of the increase coming in the last 24 hours.

The national average price of self-serve regular today is $2.90 a gallon, up from $2.863 last Friday and $2.879 yesterday, according to AAA. Prices are 27 cents higher than this time a year ago.

The price of diesel fuel is $3.19 a gallon, less than a penny a gallon higher than last week.

What's changed? Mainly it's been the outlook for the U.S. economy that has driven prices higher. Economic data released this week suggests the U.S. economy is beginning to recover. That's put upward pressure on oil prices and gasoline prices have followed suit.

Though U.S. supplies of oil and gasoline remain high, motorists are beginning to increase their demand for fuel. The Department of Transportation reported this week that U.S. vehicle miles traveled in September rose 1.5 percent, an increase of 3.7 billion miles.

The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:

• Hawaii ($3.517)

• Alaska ($3.504)

•   New York ($3.173)

• California ($3.172)

• Connecticut ($3.164)

• Washington ($3.117)

• Maine ($3.044)

• Vermont ($3.034)

• Oregon ($3.014)

• Illinois ($2.985)

The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:

• Colorado ($2.683)

• South Carolina ($2.714)

• Missouri ($2.717)

• Oklahoma ($2.717)

• Texas ($2.723)

• Mississippi ($2.749)
• Tennessee ($2755)
  

• Arkansas ($2.760)

• Louisiana ($2.755)

• Wyoming ($2.764)