Gas Prices Make U-Turn as Labor Day Weekend Begins

    LOS ANGELES--Aug. 31, 2001--After 13 consecutive weeks of steady declines from record highs set in May, the average price of gasoline began inching upward in advance of the Labor Day holiday weekend, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.
    The Labor Day weekend is considered the end of the summer driving season.
    The current price in the Los Angeles/Long Beach reporting area is $1.547 per gallon, 1.7 cents higher than the price at this time last week and 48.9 cents less than the record high set on May 25. The price in San Diego is eight-tenths of a cent higher than last week's average. Central Coast motorists are paying eight-tenths of a cent per gallon higher than last week. The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline at popular destinations for motoring trips.
    "Gasoline prices normally rise before holiday weekends as demand escalates," said Carol Thorp, Auto Club spokesperson. "Labor Day increases may also be due to refiners decreasing production to stabilize rapidly declining gas prices. Even though prices have gone up, we are still well below the $2 a gallon statewide average reached this spring and long range forecasts predict prices start dropping again after the holiday weekend."

Average prices as of 12:01 a.m. Aug. 31.

Area                             Regular Change from  Record Price
                                          last week

Los Angeles-Long Beach           $1.547  +1.7 cents   $2.036 (set 5/25)

San Diego                        $1.644  +0.8 cents   $2.025 (5/29)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc $1.682  +0.8 cents   $2.069 (5/16)

Las Vegas                        $1.401  +2.3 cents   $1.885 (3/27/00)

Phoenix-Mesa, Ariz.              $1.347  +1.8 cents   $1.720 (5/30)