You may have noticed local gas prices in Northeast Ohio jumping upwards, following the national trend.
Last week, a gallon of gas in Cleveland was $2.11. This week, the average price spiked another 20 cents to $2.31.
AAA Spokesperson Jim Garrity touched upon two factors that could be affecting the price at the pump.
"One, there's a switch over that happens this time of the year, from winter blend gasoline to summer blend gasoline,” he said, “And that coupled with, there's an international decrease in the supply of crude oil."
Around the same time last year, the price for a gallon was $1.97 on average.
However, the pricier gas is not stopping people, like Daniel Pawlus from traveling this upcoming summer.
"Put a little money aside, just for gas, to get to wherever we do end up going, either Tennessee or South Carolina, somewhere like that,” he said.
Another resident, Robert Heinrich, told News 5 that he noticed the price hike right away, as he commutes to Cleveland all the way from Elyria.
"My car uses higher octane, so it definitely costs a lot more to gas my car, especially with the long commute. It's going to be a problem, but you have to pay for it. Anything over $3.50, I’ll probably switch over to a hybrid car,” he said.
AAA predicts more people are expected to take road trips this year.
"Instead of seeing folks call off their trips, we're seeing those trips maybe come closer to home, whereas cruises and international trips are still popular, we in AAA are seeing an increase in trips to amusement parks or national parks, closer areas where they can make those road trips,” he said.
While gas prices usually go up during this time of year, it's expected to rise even more this year.
Experts at AAA predict gas prices here in Cleveland will jump by another 40 cents in the next few months to about $2.70 per gallon.
While that sounds pricey, it's far from the record-setting $4.15 a gallon, back in 2011.
AAA has a list on their app to find the cheapest gas stations in your area.
