Montana gas prices tick up, Missoula has cheapest fuel
Posted: Mar 15, 2010 10:44 AM
Updated: Mar 15, 2010 10:47 AM
The cost of a gallon of gas keeps going up in Montana, rising 11.2 cents per gallon in the past week. It now costs an average of $2.82 a gallon to fill up, compared with the national average of $2.78 per gallon, according to gasoline price website MontanaGasPrices.com.
Including the change in gas prices in Montana during the past week, prices today are 90.3 cents per gallon higher than the same day one year ago, and are 17.9 cents per gallon higher than a month ago.
"We're starting off March like a lion with little hope of it going out like a lamb," noted Patrick DeHaan, GasBuddy.com senior petroleum analyst. "While conventional wisdom tells us demand will increase as we move towards warmer weather, it appears that gasoline price increases have easily outpaced any potential increases in demand thus far. On that note, I expect most of the country to flirt with prices near or over $3 a gallon come Memorial Day, with the exception of California, where prices will average near $3.35 a gallon" he added.
DeHaan said that the only bright spot for motorists this year is that plenty of spare refining capacity and lower gasoline demand than years prior will keep gasoline prices from rising to record highs.
The lowest prices in the state were found in Missoula, where several stations were still sitting at $2.69 a gallon. gas prices in Great Falls were hovering between $2.74 and $2.85 per gallon, while in Helena, a gallon of gas costs between $2.75 and $2.85.
The most expensive gas in Montana cost $2.99 a gallon in Plentywood.
