Gas Prices Skyrocket

By Adrianna Weingold

CREATED Feb. 18, 2013

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  • Here in the Coachella Valley the price per gallon has gone up more than .50 cents in the past three weeks. So the big questions: What's driving the price so high? And when will it come back down? Video by kmir6.com

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COACHELLA VALLEY--A three day weekend for many means a road trip or simply extra driving locally. The holiday comes as the price of gasoline continues to climb across the country. Here in the Coachella Valley the price per gallon has gone up more than .50 cents in the past three weeks.

 
So the big questions: What's driving the price so high? And when will it come back down?
 
"I don't like seeing this thing go over 80 bucks, that just annoys me," tourist Skip Cronin said.
 
For 21 consecutive days the price of gasoline has gone up, driving people to fill up now before it gets any worse.
 
"It's not going to be good and I have a 4-wheel drive truck and therefore I'll have to spend more money on gas and I'll have to eliminate other things in my life," Sky Valley resident Barbara Penrod said.
 
Economists say the steady climb in retail gas prices is likely to continue following double-digit increases in wholesale prices, with fuel production tightening in the majority of the country's refineries.
 
"I have no control of it," San Pedro resident Nathan Miller said. "I mean, regardless, it sucks. We all know that, but what can you do about it? It's not my company. It is what it is. You gotta deal with it."
 
Gas prices typically go up in the winter as the need for heating oil increases. Demand will slow as we move into spring, meaning we should see at least a slight decline in gas prices. However, summer is just around the corner, so brace yourself for another spike in prices as temperatures rise. 
 
--Adrianna Weingold
aweingold@kmir6.com