Gas prices reached their highest levels since October 2015 this week, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA), averaging $2.55 a gallon.
The price per barrel for oil is more than $50 and expected to stay above this mark for the week.
U.S. output has increased compared to a year ago, reaching 9.679 million barrels per day for gasoline and increasing 1 million barrels per day for crude. There are 325 more U.S. oil rigs in operation than in 2016.
“When fall arrives, motorists expect gas prices to be cheaper than they were in the summer. That’s just not the case this year,” Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokeswoman, said. “Back-to-back hurricanes packed a punch to Gulf Coast refineries’ gasoline production and inventory levels. As they play catch-up, gas prices are going to be higher than we’d like to see.”
The West Coast, including Alaska and Hawaii, currently has the nation’s highest gas prices, averaging between $2.83 and $3.11 a gallon, while the nation’s lowest price, $2.38 a gallon, can be found in Mississippi.
The Southeastern, Rockies and mid-Atlantic states saw decreases from last week with the exception of Pennsylvania and Idaho, which are among the 10 most-expensive states.
The Great Lakes states all saw increases of between 2 and 11 cents.