Gas prices up more than a dime in Florida

The months of dropping gas prices are coming to an end.

Prices rose more than a dime last week across Florida, and may keep going up.

“Gas prices increased due to a series of refinery issues in the Midwest and a rise in crude oil prices," said Mark Jenkins, spokesman for The Auto Club Group. "Gasoline and oil prices quickly rose mid-week, but stabilized through the weekend."

Jenkins said prices normally increase between 30 and 50 cents per gallon in the spring and then drop again in the fall.

Last week, the national average rose by 12 cents to $2.175. The state average increased by 13 cents, averaging $2.202 per gallon.

But even though the price of oil rose by $3.45 over the last week, it is still 52 percent cheaper than the highest price in 2014.

"Global oil prices should continue to register multi-year lows with supply outpacing demand, and barring any events that cause the global price to increase substantially, AAA expects that the U.S. average will remain below $3 per gallon throughout 2015," Jenkins said. "However, the next several months are likely to be very volatile for oil and gas prices as demand increases and refineries enter maintenance season."

This story was originally published February 9, 2015 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Gas prices up more than a dime in Florida."