(Center Square) – Gas prices are above $5 in parts of the Phoenix metropolitan area as they are expected to rise again this summer.
Across Arizona, the average AAA price is $4.55, but in rural southern Arizona, such as Yuma, Cochise, and Graham counties, the average price is still below $4.
However, the Maricopa County average is $4.83 per gallon for regular, which is higher than last week’s average.
Some of the highest prices are found in wealthier communities like Scottsdale, where Monday prices average $4.96. That’s slightly higher than in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area of California, where drivers averaged $4.95 per gallon on Mondays.
Gasoline summer blends are more expensive than winter blends, which partly explains why prices are rising again.
“Once oil prices rise above $80 a barrel, there will be significant upward pressure on what they are paying to pump. As long as oil prices remain at current levels, drivers could see higher prices for the foreseeable future. AAA spokesperson Andrew Gross said in a statement last week.
For Phoenix, the average is $4.80, the same as the West Valley as a whole.
For northern Arizona, Prescott is much cheaper than Phoenix, at $4.25 and $4.33 in Flagstaff.
The national average is much lower than Arizona and California, nearly a dollar lower at $3.67.
