Michigan gas prices settle in at $3.29; up 20 cents from last week
Gas prices in Michigan set a new high for the year on Friday, then declined slightly over the weekend, AAA-The Auto Club reported Monday.
Michigan drivers are now paying an average $3.29 a gallon for regular unleaded, a point that reached $3.30 a gallon on Friday. That is up 20 cents from a week ago and 8 cents more than this time last month; but 23 cents less than this time last year.
The most expensive gas prices across the state on this week's AAA review were in Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Metro Detroit. The least expensive were in Marquette, Traverse City and Benton Harbor.
For a full 15-gallon tank of gas, the average cost in Michigan cost adds up to $49 for a fill-up.
"Drivers across Michigan are seeing the highest gas prices so far this year," said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA-The Auto Club Group. "Pump prices will likely face upward pressure if crude oil prices continue to rise."
Will prices continue to go up?
While that impact is yet to be seen, Patrick De Haan, a gas price expert known as the Gas Buddy Guy, said via his social media accounts that he expected the national average prices to rise by about 10 to 30 cents a gallon in the coming days.
That trend could result in the highest prices seen in recent months for gasoline, likely with a slow but steady increases rather than spikes.
For example, oil prices did settle back down when markets opened Monday, he said.
"We're obviously in a little bit of uncharted territory here," De Haan said over the weekend; and then added on Monday "it's not going to get too much worse at this point."
He also mentioned that gas prices in the Great Lakes region, including Michigan, normally have price cycles this time of year.
