Californians traveling this weekend can expect high gas prices as summer travel demands are still elevated.
Travelers can expect to spend around $4.39 per gallon for regular gas, according to the Los Angeles Times, which is up from the $3.24 price tag from last year.
The current national average is $3.18, which is up 95 cents since last year.
Auto Club reported rising gas prices all summer due to an increase in demand. With more and more travelers taking road trips as compared to two years ago.
With hotspots nearby for California, including Zion, Bryce Canyon national parks, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Yosemite National Park, San Diego, Sedona, Austin, and Seattle, overnight trips are on the rise this summer season.
As Labor Day weekend rolls around and travelers prepare for their road trips, gas prices – despite being high – have remained fairly steady since Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane, affecting both coasts.
The hurricane briefly shut down oil rigs as the storm affected the Gulf Coast, but are back up and operating again.
The storm has since moved north, causing mass flooding and deaths across the East Coast.
In a historic moment, New York City shut down all five boroughs for the first time as 46 people died from the severe flooding, leaving many trapped on the transit lines for hours and others paying high prices for rideshare apps to get home.
As fall rolls around, travelers and drivers can expect gas prices to lower nationwide as demand lowers.
Gas prices in California usually begin to decrease around late August, according to the Los Angeles Times. Californians can expect prices to lower in the coming weeks.