Gas prices are rising in the area

Average gasoline prices in the Tacoma area rose 2.1 cents a gallon in one week to $2.81, according to fuel price monitoring site GasBuddy’s weekly update.

“Gasoline prices are starting to pick up steam as a majority of states see their average rise over last week, a function of the season’s theatrics coming into view: refinery maintenance and the transition to cleaner gasoline pumping up prices,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com, in Monday’s news release.

Prices ranged from $2.76 in Yakima to $2.83 in Seattle, according to GasBuddy.

On Monday, the lowest listed Tacoma-area price on tacomagasprices.com was $2.49, found at at least two area Arcos — 1101 S Sprague Ave; 2623 Bridgeport Way W. — and at Tacoma’s Costco.

In Olympia, the lowest price Monday at washingtongasprices.com was $2.53 a gallon at three area Arco stations: 10222 Martin Way E., 7291 Martin Way E. and Evergreen Park Drive.

This story was originally published March 6, 2017 at 1:14 PM with the headline "Gas prices are rising in the area."