CINCINNATI — Just when Cincinnati-area drivers were starting to get a break from paying almost $5 a gallon for gasoline, prices are spiking back up ahead of the Memorial Day holiday weekend, which starts Thursday.
Speedway stations across southwest Ohio raised their prices to $4.89 a gallon on Tuesday, after falling to $4.39 or lower in many places last weekend. Kroger, Shell, United Dairy Farmers and BP stations followed in many neighborhoods.
AAA's gas price map shows prices rising to an average of $4.61 across the state, a 10-cent jump since Monday. At many local stations, however, drivers saw a 40-cent jump.
The average price in Kentucky remained at $4.16 Tuesday, according to AAA, but that doesn't appear to reflect the latest price hike, which saw many Northern Kentucky stations moving up to $4.60 a gallon.
Kentucky drivers are benefiting from a 15-cent-per-gallon state gas tax holiday, which began last week. Ohio is still charging gasoline taxes.
Gas Buddy's head of petroleum analysis, Patrick DeHaan, predicted this latest price spike, pointing to rising crude oil prices in recent days, due to no movement on the stalemate with Iran. He called the situation "uncomfortable."
WCPO spoke to Cincinnati driver Chris Wolf, who was filling up at a Speedway in Columbia Tusculum.
Wolf said he thinks if high prices persist, a lot of summer plans will be canceled. He is already making some changes.
"I am trying to take less trips to the store, less trips to see friends," Wolf said.
Typically, gas prices begin to drop after Memorial Day weekend, but Gas Buddy said it is impossible to predict what will happen next this year because of the war in Iran and the continued blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
If the Strait reopens, DeHaan said crude oil prices could fall dramatically, and gas prices would follow.
See the latest gas prices on WCPO's interactive map.
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