Ohio gas prices continue to rise for second week

Ohio motorists are definitely starting to feel the pinch at the pump right about now, and soon we may all be feeling it. For the second week in a row, Ohio gas prices have continued to rise, and are currently just above the national average.

Auto club AAA recently updated its prices list, putting the national average for regular gas at $3.48–up 6 cents from a week ago, and 19 cents from four weeks ago. By contrast, the national average for regular gas was $3.12 this time last year.

Unfortunately, motorists shouldn’t expect gas prices to even out any time soon. In fact, some consumer analysts are now saying that gas prices could jump by as much as 60 cents come May, with gas prices in major metropolitan areas possibly going even higher than that.

“I think it’s going to be a chaotic spring, with huge price increases in some places,” says Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service.

Energy analyst Patrick DeHaan agreed with Kloza’s prediction, saying: “You could see prices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Washington and other major metropolitan areas at $4.60 or higher.”

Gas prices have continued to rise due in no small part to concerns over the situation in the Middle East. As tensions in the region continue, analysts expect that gas prices won’t be coming back down for some time.

“Higher demand, Iran, lost refining capacity are all potential problems,” says Brian Milne of energy tracker Televent DTN. “We’ll get over $4 a gallon, but it’s going to be tough to sustain that level. People will drive less.”