Gas prices steady, but prepare for increase

Gas prices held steady in the past week in the area, according to fuel price monitoring website GasBuddy.com.

But if it seems more expensive at the pump, it could be because we’re paying about 40 cents more per gallon than this time a year ago, according to GasBuddy statistics this week.

After Feb. 14, motorists “will be in store for a jump at the pump as maintenance season begins and the long transition to summer gasoline becomes a pinch point, leading to gas prices that will mostly trend higher for two to three months,” said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.

Average Tacoma prices on Tuesday were $2.76 a gallon, according to tacomagasprices.com, with Lakewood’s Safeway at Gravelly Lake Drive and Lakewood Towne Center Boulevard the cheapest, at $2.51 a gallon.

In Olympia on Tuesday, the lowest price listed at washingtongasprices.com was $2.53 a gallon at two Arco stations: at Evergreen Park Drive and Cooper Point Road and at Yelm Highway Southeast and Boulevard Road Southeast.

Staff report

This story was originally published January 17, 2017 at 3:17 PM with the headline "Gas prices steady, but prepare for increase."