Idaho, you may want to fill your gas tank now, not wait for cheaper prices. This is why
Gas prices in Idaho jumped by 12 cents a gallon over the past week, fueled by a delayed reaction to a series of winter storms that hit the Midwest and the Gulf Coast.
“Last week, Idahoans were able to avoid the double-digit increase that drivers faced in two-thirds of the states, but no longer,” AAA Idaho spokesperson Matthew Conde said in a statement.
Idaho gas prices are now higher than they were a year ago, just before the coronavirus pandemic struck the state. The average for regular gas across the state on Tuesday was $2.62 a gallon, up 17 cents from a month ago and nine cents more than in early March 2020.
Twin Falls has the cheapest gas prices in the state, $2.47 per gallon. The Boise area has the highest, $2.71, up 3 cents from Monday.
Idaho’s gas prices are still 11 cents cheaper than the national average of $2.73 per gallon. Nationally, gas prices increased 31 cents from last month and 29 cents from a year ago.
Rising crude oil prices and abnormally low refinery production have pushed prices upward, AAA said. During the winter storms, 26 U.S. refineries shut down, lowering refinery utilization from 83% to 68%, according to the Energy Information Administration.
Prices at the pump are expected to continue to climb higher.
“AAA forecasts that the national average will hit $2.80 per gallon sometime in March,” Conde said. “Idaho prices are sometimes 20 to 30 cents higher than the national average, so we could hit the $3 mark at some point.”
Here’s a selection of Idaho gas prices as of Tuesday:
▪ Twin Falls - $2.47
▪ Idaho Falls - $2.48
▪ Franklin - $2.60
▪ Pocatello - $2.55
▪ Coeur d’Alene - $2.55
▪ Lewiston - $2.64
▪ Boise - $2.71
