LA Auto Club: Motorists Could Be Heading for Spring Gas Price Spike

LOS ANGELES--March 3, 2006--Gas prices ended their brief downturn in most Southern California cities this week, although average prices are still less than they were a week ago, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California's Weekend Gas Watch.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $2.506, which is 1.6 cents lower than last week, 8 cents lower than last month and 28 cents higher than last year. In San Diego, the price is $2.530 -- 0.3 cents below last week's price, 6.9 cents below last month and 30 cents above last year. On the Central Coast, the average price is $2.627, down 3.6 cents from last week, 10 cents lower than last month and 29 cents higher than last year. In the Inland Empire, the average price is $2.525, down 1.7 cents from last week, 8 cents below last month and 28 cents higher than last year.

"Gas prices in most areas began heading back up on Monday after dropping for about three weeks," said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. "Traditionally, Southern California has experienced gas price spikes during the spring, and oil industry analysts believe this could be the beginning of another one."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline as of 12:01 a.m., March 3:

Area                         Regular   Change from     Record Price
                                        last week
Los Angeles-Long Beach        $2.506   -1.6 cents    $2.999 (9/6/2005)

Orange County                 $2.467   -1.4 cents    $2.970 (9/6/2005)

San Diego                     $2.530   -0.3 cents    $3.060 (9/5/2005)

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-
 Lompoc                       $2.627   -3.6 cents    $3.111 (9/7/2005)

Riverside-San Bernardino      $2.525   -1.7 cents    $3.030 (9/9/2005)

Bakersfield                   $2.510   -2.5 cents    $3.167 (9/9/2005)

Las Vegas                     $2.402   -0.9 cents    $2.968 (9/8/2005)