Drivers heading out for summer road trips will pay higher gas prices in Northeast Ohio this week. A gallon of gasoline jumped almost 9 cents to average $3.807.

 On the National Front

Today’s national average price for regular unleaded gasoline is $3.62 per gallon. This price is fractions of a penny less expensive than one week ago, but it is 10 cents more expensive than one month ago and 3 cents more than the same date last year.

Motorists in a handful of states (W.Va., S.C., Miss., Ala., N.C. and D.C.) have seen prices drop in the last 30 days, however sharply higher prices in the Midwest, Rockies and Pacific Northwest have propelled the national average higher at a time when, in recent years, drivers have enjoyed falling prices. Motorists in 16 states have seen prices rise by more than 20 cents per gallon in the past month and those in seven Midwestern states (N.D., S.D., Iowa, Okla., Neb., Kan., and Mich.) are paying at least 30 cents more. These higher regional prices have been due to continued refinery maintenance and other production issues that led to tight supplies.

The dramatic price increases in these Midwestern states have frustrated motorists, however many of these same drivers have also experienced sizable weekly declines as refinery maintenance draws to a close and supply concerns are alleviated. The primary exception has been three Great Lakes states: Ohio, Ind., and Mich. where gas prices have jumped more than a dime in the last seven days. These isolated higher retail prices have been due to heavy demand for wholesale gasoline in the Chicago market, as the summer driving season gets underway, at the same time that lingering refinery outages from planned and unplanned turnarounds mean lean supplies for this group of states.

While prices may tick higher in the next few days, AAA continues to expect lower prices — both nationally and in the Midwest — as June continues.