Gas Prices Surge for Labor Day Weekend

Local gas prices jumped by almost two cents a day during the past week, breaking records in many areas for the most expensive Labor Day weekend pump prices ever, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California’s Weekend Gas Watch.

In Riverside-San Bernardino counties, the average per gallon price as of Thursday was $3.836, up 12.8 cents from last week, four cents higher than last month, and 80 cents more than last year, the Auto Club reported.

“Gas prices have gone up around the country over the past week, but not by double digits as we’ve seen in California,” said Auto Club spokesperson Jeffrey Spring, in a news release.

“Refinery issues are being blamed for the spike, and unfortunately that means holiday travelers will be paying prices for their Labor Day fuel that are near or beyond what they paid in 2008, our record-breaking year for gas prices.”

Outside of the Inland Empire region, the Los Angeles-Long Beach area was seeing average prices of $3.867 per gallon. In San Diego, the price was $3.873, and on the Central Coast, $3.901, the Auto Club reported.

The Auto Club projected that 2.32 million Southern Californians will travel this holiday weekend. More than 80 percent of them, or 1.89 million, will drive to their Labor Day destinations.