No Summer of Love At The Gas Pump in Yakima
It's not yet officially summer but summer gas prices have arrived. Gas prices in Yakima are down 2.5 cents per gallon over the last week but still expensive selling for an average of $5.04 a gallon today according to GasBuddy's survey of 91 stations in Yakima.
Prices are on the way up this summer like the heat
GasBuddy officials say there's no relief in site. Prices in Yakima are 47.2 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand $1.58 per gallon higher than a year ago.
If you drive diesel the price of diesel has fallen 4.0 cents nationally in the past week and is currently selling for an average of $5.50 per gallon.
You'll find the cheapest gas in the state in Wapato selling for an average of $4.55 per gallon.
The highest price in the state is currently $6.19 per gallon.
The national price of gas was up 5 pennies overnight Tuesday
On the national side the average price of gas is up 5 cents per gallon overnight selling for an average of $4.67 per gallon today.
“After several weeks of soaring gas prices, last week saw prices nationally slow down ahead of Memorial Day, but I'm afraid the good news ends there," says Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. "While gasoline demand has been seasonally soft, the large decline in refining capacity over the last few years has meant that refiners are struggling to produce even lower amounts of refined products. This has led inventories to struggle to see any gains, boosting concern that they won't be able to catch up. Coupled with continued talk that the EU is still working on sanctioning Russian oil, even though Hungary is a hold out, oil markets are quite on edge. As a result of the continued decline in gasoline inventories in recent weeks, wholesale gas prices surged last week, which will likely boost prices at the pump in short order. Motorists in the Great Lakes could see prices jump early in the week to new record highs, and the rest of the nation will follow. Odds are rising that we'll eventually see the national average reach that dreaded $5 per gallon."
What a difference a year makes in the United States
Historical gasoline prices in Yakima and the national average going back ten years:
May 31, 2021: $3.46/g (U.S. Average: $3.04/g)
May 31, 2020: $2.30/g (U.S. Average: $1.97/g)
May 31, 2019: $3.44/g (U.S. Average: $2.82/g)
May 31, 2018: $3.40/g (U.S. Average: $2.96/g)
May 31, 2017: $2.83/g (U.S. Average: $2.38/g)
May 31, 2016: $2.53/g (U.S. Average: $2.32/g)
May 31, 2015: $2.93/g (U.S. Average: $2.75/g)
May 31, 2014: $3.83/g (U.S. Average: $3.67/g)
May 31, 2013: $3.89/g (U.S. Average: $3.61/g)
May 31, 2012: $4.21/g (U.S. Average: $3.62/g)