What’s fueling another gas price increase?

TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - Gas prices are rising again - particularly in Arizona. Just before Labor Day travel, the average cost per gallon in Tucson has risen about 19 cents in the last week. Meanwhile, the national average price of gasoline has fallen four cents per gallon in the same time period.

Gas Buddy reports Tucson prices are 46.1 cents higher per gallon than a month ago and about 36 cents higher than a year ago. The national average today is $3.78. In Tucson, it’s $4.06. It’s true that the cost of oil has jumped: Producers raised prices in recent months, while Saudi Arabia and Russia are cutting supply amid political instability. But the real culprit? Extreme weather. And that’s not just an Arizona problem.

“Refineries don’t produce as much gas when it’s extremely hot outside, and we just had a historically hot month so, that’s not a coincidence,” said AAA spokesman Julian Paredes. “We also get a good portion of our gas from California, they just got hit by a hurricane, so there’s a lot happening. There are many factors, all of them are putting a lot of pressure on the gas market.”

Experts say it could have been even worse if the hurricane had pushed any California refineries offline. We have no refineries here in Arizona - and it doesn’t help the gas evaporates in the heat. So, when will your fuel finances settle down? Paredes said prices usually cool with the weather, in mid-September, as the summer blend contributes to higher cost, too. Experts agree we should see a significant drop in the next couple of months.

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