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Gas prices rise along with the temperatures

Flickr User - Michael Kappel | https://flic.kr/p/aPYCLK

Triple A Michigan says gas prices for the summer travel season may hit three-dollars a gallon this year.

Michigan’s current gas price average of $2.87 a gallon is eleven-cents higher than the national average.

Susan Hiltz is the public affairs director with Triple A Michigan. She says a number of factors affect gas prices.

“Oil prices are increasing, people are driving more because the weather is warming up,” she said. “We are also going into the summer blend of gas which is more expensive to produce and there are some maintenance issues at the refineries.”

Hiltz said historically, gas prices rise during spring and summer seasons.

“If things continue in this direction, we will be seeing increases. We don’t have an exact number or anything,” she said. “But, as a safe estimate, we’ll be inching closer to $3.”

Hiltz said Michigan is in a region known for volatile gas prices. She said she would not be surprised if gas prices this summer hit $3/gallon. That’s a price not seen in Michigan since 2015.