The American Automobile Association reported a slight increase in gas prices ahead of the upcoming holiday weekend. However, officials say these prices will likely remain static over the weekend.
As of August 31, the national average price of gas is about $3.80, per American Automobile Association (AAA) data. This price is slightly below the recorded average for 2022, which was $3.841.
The State of Texas currently has one of the lowest average gas prices, at roughly $3.40. The state with the highest average gas price is California, at roughly $5.30.
Dallas County currently has an average gas price of about $3.40.
Some states have seen fluctuations in their prices within the last week.
“Since last Thursday, these 10 states have seen the largest changes in their averages: Indiana (−11 cents), Ohio (+10 cents), Utah (+10 cents), Maryland (−10 cents), Delaware (−10 cents), South Carolina (+7 cents), Arizona (+7 cents), Michigan (−7 cents), Alaska (+6 cents) and Florida (−6 cents),” reads AAA’s report.
Despite national gas prices being about 7 cents higher than the previous month, officials expect these prices to remain static for the Labor Day weekend.
“With visits to the pump rather flat and the price of oil hovering around the $80 per barrel mark, the national average for a gallon of gas will likely stay where it is through this holiday weekend,” said Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson. “Hurricane Idalia may cause regional price jumps due to station damage, flooded roads, and power outages, but as in past years, these things are usually fixed in a few weeks.”
Florida currently has an average gas price of $3.698, while other states in the projected path of Hurricane Idalia, like Texas, have some of the lowest prices in the nation.
Daniel Armbruster, AAA Texas spokesperson, explained that Texans may see a slight increase at the pump.
“While gas prices have increased slightly in the last few days, holiday travelers will see pump prices fairly close to where they were a year ago,” said Armbruster, according to CBS Texas. “Demand for fuel remains strong which could cause prices to further increase over the holiday. AAA Travel bookings are four percent higher compared to Labor Day 2022 and Hurricane Idalia also put upward pressure on fuel prices.”
Those planning to hit the road this weekend can track gas prices along their route using AAA’s Triptik app.