Gas Prices at One Missoula Station Jumped 10 Cents in One Day

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - It happens every spring.

The price of regular unleaded gas jumped by a full 10 cents a gallon recently at one Missoula gas station, so KGVO News reached out to Patrick DeHaan, oil analyst with GasBuddy.com for details on gas prices, who blamed it on ‘seasonality’.

“Seasonality,” began DeHaan. “We are starting to round the corner if you will. The coldest and worst days of winter are behind us, and that starts to mean that every spring we're going to spring up in gas prices and that’s what is happening. Gas prices across Montana are up by 10 cents a gallon in the last week. The statewide average about $3.26 a gallon though you can still find it for under $3 a gallon around the state.”

Gas Prices are Rising for the Spring as Usual says Petroleum Analyst

DeHaan said the current situation in the Middle East bears watching.

“Hey, it's something to keep an eye on,” he said. “Most certainly, it could be a choke point. It could pinch the market if it becomes more impactful, but for now, the impact has been very limited by the fact that aside from a small disruption, it is not holding back oil being shipped globally, it is simply rerouting it. For that reason, Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have not had much of an impact to date, but it’s certainly a risk and that could change in the future. So the good news is that for now, much in the Middle East is not really having much of an active role in prices, although what we're experiencing at the pump is really seasonal, and certainly very predictable.”

READ MORE: Missoula Gas Prices Are Higher Than the Statewide Average

Diesel Prices are Stable Which Helps Montana's Economy

DeHaan said diesel prices are stable at this time and that will have a positive effect on the Montana economy.

“We're seeing diesel prices at the lowest stations in Montana in the $3.60’s,” he said. “The highest prices are in the $3.90’s. In fact, most prices across the state for diesel are only 20 cents a gallon difference between about $3.69 to $3.89 a gallon. The good news is that diesel prices are below $4.00 in Montana, and that is helping keeping some of those inflationary levels in check so that we don't have to see further increases in the price of goods that are shipped with diesel fuel.”

Click here to find the lowest price for unleaded gas in Missoula.