Gas Prices Jump Another Six Cents In Last Week

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. Is gradually making its way toward $4 a gallon, and with the start of summer driving still a month away, is less than a dime from that psychological barrier.

The average price of self-serve regular gas today is $3.909 a gallon, up from $3.846 seven days ago, according to AAA's Fuel Gauge Survey. The price is up more than 31 cents a gallon in the last month.

Diesel fuel prices rose a penny a gallon, with the average price at $4.146.

“Crude oil flirting with $115 per barrel coupled with the change from winter-blend to summer-blend gasoline taking place in many parts of the country means drivers have seen the price of gasoline at the pump continue to rise,” said Andrew Delmege, AAA's manager of regulatory affairs.

Another driving force behind the climb in oil prices is continued weakness of the U.S. Dollar. The greenback continued its beating on international currency markets during the week, with gold and silver prices reaching new record highs on a near daily basis.

Economists and business leaders are worried, meanwhile, that high gasoline prices are cutting into consumer spending and threaten the fragile recovery. The CEO of Wal-Mart said this week that the giant retail chain is seeing evidence that its customer base is “running out of money” at a faster pace.

The states with the most expensive gasoline today are:

• Hawaii ($4.565)
• California ($4.232)
• Alaska ($4.202)
• Connecticut ($4.203)
• Illinois ($4.173)
• New York ($4.117)
• Michigan (($4.116)
• Washington, DC ($4.109)
• Wisconsin ($3.993)
• Washington ($3.976)

The states with the least expensive gasoline today are:

• Wyoming ($3.590)
• Montana ($3.651)
• Colorado ($3.664)
• South Carolina ($3.672)
• Mississippi ($3.699)
• Utah ($3.707)
• Tennessee ($3.715)
• Arkansas ($3.747)
• Oklahoma ($3.756)
• Missouri ($3.756)