Auto Club: Southern California Gas Prices Rise For Second Week

Southern California gas prices are up for the second week in a row as local refinery maintenance continues to affect production, according to the Auto Club's Weekend Gas Watch. The average price for self-serve regular gasoline in California is $4.87, which is 13 cents higher than a week ago. The average national price is $3.40, which is eight cents higher than a week ago.

The average price of self-serve regular gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area is $4.93 per gallon, which is eight cents more than last week, 22 cents higher than last month, and two cents lower than last year. In San Diego, the average price is $4.92, which is six cents more than last week, 20 cents higher than last month, and two cents lower than this time last year.

On the Central Coast, the average price is $4.90, which is nine cents higher than last week, 21 cents higher than last month, and the same as last year. In Riverside, the average per-gallon price is $4.80, which is eight cents higher than last week, 22 cents higher than last month and five cents lower than a year ago. In Bakersfield, the $4.74 average price is 12 cents more than last week, 18 cents more than last month, and 11 cents lower than a year ago today.

"According to Oil Price Information Service, one local refinery has announced it will be undergoing maintenance for a week starting today, while the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that West Coast refinery production rates and gasoline imports increased over the past week," said Auto Club Spokesperson Doug Shupe. "Gas prices may continue to experience upward pressure as demand grows in the next few months."

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline. As of 9 a.m. on March 7, averages are: