A 13-day streak of increases ended Monday when the average price of a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline in San Diego County fell three-tenths of a cent to $3.78.
The average price rose 16.4 cents during the streak to its highest among since Oct. 21, according to figures from the AAA and Oil Price Information Service.
The average price is 8.4 cents more than one week ago and 14 cents higher than one month ago but 46.7 cents less than one year ago.
Marie Montgomery of AAA says the price of gas widely is expected to top $4 a gallon.
“The bright side of things right now is that at least we’re not paying last year’s prices which were considerably higher. We were about 45 cents higher per gallon this time last year," she said. "So right now the spike has not started as early as we saw it last year.”
The rising prices are the result of the annual refinery maintenance season when supplies of winter blend gasoline drop as refineries start production of the more expensive summer blend, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.
“When the refineries start tapering off the winter blend and getting into the summer blend, sometimes we end up with some sort of supply problems. Or wholesale traders are afraid of supply problems,” Montgomery said.
KPBS business and environment reporter Erik Anderson contributed to this report.
