February has been a bad month for gas prices, and the increases could continue
in March.
At $3.63, the monthly national average price of a gallon of regular
gasoline already has surpassed last February's average by 8 cents, according
to AAA.
The national average was $3.777 on Monday, up more than four cents from a
week earlier. In Florida, the average price was $3.869, an increase of nearly
seven cents from the previous Monday.
In its weekly analysis of gas prices, the auto club forecasts the average
price will continue to rise through this month and in March. States in the
Southeast may see prices above $4 a gallon.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like there will be much relief at the
pump in the next couple of weeks," AAA spokeswoman Jessica Brady said in a
news release. "U.S. refinery maintenance typically peaks in March, meaning we
could see more cuts in refinery output, leading to higher gas prices.
"Although gas prices were forecast to peak in April, it's unclear whether
or not this will be the case since pump prices have already seen such dramatic
increases."
In Gainesville, recent prices for a gallon of regular ranged from $3.81
to $4.09, according to www.gasbuddy.com.
In Ocala, recent prices for a gallon of regular ranged from $3.71 to
$3.99, according to www.gasbuddy.com.
