Gas tops $3 mark in Calif. Is rest of U.S. next?

[Oracle of Delphi]

WASHINGTON - Gasoline prices have jumped above $3 a gallon in some parts of California and Hawaii, and may hit that level in other parts of the country when the busy summer driving season approaches.

“It kills me,” said Gloria Nunez, 53, as she filled her Ford Explorer SUV at a San Jose gas station. Nunez, a clerk for a communications company, has started working a couple hours of overtime each week to help soften the blow.

“All of a sudden you kind of have to watch your pennies,” she said.

Analysts say drivers should brace for more increases in the coming weeks. Crude oil, which makes up about half the price of gasoline, is trading above $60 a barrel. Higher demand, refinery maintenance and fears about springtime shortages are also driving up prices, particularly on the West Coast.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8533441/

[NOS2006]

That's okay.. I'll be back at school in less than a month and I hardly drive anywhere there.

[daves87rs]

Glad I don't have to drive too much..

I'm betting it goes well over 3 bucks by summer...

For those of you in Canada, get ready to buy that bike or mule now.....

[Intrepidation]

Glad the Prizm gets 40 mpg.

[PurdueGuy]

gasp, who'da thunk gas prices would go back up?

[Croc]

Part of the reason out here is due to a local refinery fire...

[trinacriabob]

A pattern has developed.

They ramp us up for $ 3 / gallon gas at the beginning of the summer and it tapers back down around Labor Day.

And some of you itch for a V-8 car? Amazing. I will get one more conventional car and I'm hoping the next time it will be something that gets mega-miles per gallon and/or has an electric plug.

[daves87rs]

A pattern has developed.

They ramp us up for $ 3 / gallon gas at the beginning of the summer and it tapers back down around Labor Day.

And some of you itch for a V-8 car? Amazing. I will get one more conventional car and I'm hoping the next time it will be something that gets mega-miles per gallon and/or has an electric plug.

I don't think it's going down this time though...

I expect OPEC to do something stupid...

[Nick]

I just paid 3.25 for premium...

[daves87rs]

I just paid 3.25 for premium...

Ow.

[Intrepidation]

We all knew gas prices would rise again. Of course now they're using a "fire" as an excuse.

[Cory Wolfe]

Gas is only 20 cents higher than what it was two months ago here... $2.60 for premium.

[NOS2006]

I had to drive out to a place near Lansing today for work.. premium was in the $2.80s over there. It's $2.79 (93 octane) in Madison Heights.

[Drew Dowdell]

A pattern has developed.

They ramp us up for $ 3 / gallon gas at the beginning of the summer and it tapers back down around Labor Day.

And some of you itch for a V-8 car? Amazing. I will get one more conventional car and I'm hoping the next time it will be something that gets mega-miles per gallon and/or has an electric plug.

still waiting for my CTS diesel and Hybrid E85 burning Avalanche

[trinacriabob]

This really effs up things economically, too.

As I will fill up today at about $ 2.85 versus 20 cents less the last time, one then says "KMart" over "Safeway." You start making those trade-offs and traveling less, which is not good for the economy but certainly beneficial for Cheney and friends.

When gas goes up, it changes my "buyer behavior."