Missouri gas price increase outpaces US average

The Show-Me State gas average rose by 4.8 cents during the past week, outpacing the 4.3 cent increase on the national level.

Missouri’s average yesterday was $2.11 per gallon, while the U.S. figure was $2.32 per gallon, according to a GasBuddy.com news release.

"We long anticipated seeing gasoline prices beginning to rise en masse in the spring, but uncharacteristically, it took until nearly April Fools’ Day for it to begin. There's no fooling this time — the rally in prices does seem to be more credible as oil and gasoline markets rebound," said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, in the release. “Motorists should expect to see a more sustained upward trend at the pump through Memorial Day, but thankfully the seasonal rise could still be less severe than what we've seen in prior years.”

Show-Me State prices yesterday were unchanged from a month ago but 24 cents higher than a year ago. The U.S. average ticked up 0.8 cents during the past month and rose 26.5 cents during the past year.

This morning, Missouri was eighth on GasBuddy’s list of the lowest averages in the nation. At No. 1 was South Carolina with a $2.04 per gallon average, while Hawaii’s $3.01 average placed the state at the bottom of the list.

In Missouri, the lowest price of gas this morning was available for $1.91 per gallon at stations in Fredericktown and Potosi, according to MissouriGasPrices.com. Springfieldians could find gas for as low as $1.99 per gallon at Break Time, 1211 E. Grand St., and Danny's Service Center, 3305 W. Division St.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil was trading at $50.47 per barrel as of 10:03 a.m., compared with a 52-week range of $41.67 to $57.50.