The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gasoline in the United States rose 22 cents over the past three weeks to $2.82, according to a Lundberg survey released on Sunday.
The average price per gallon, which has now jumped 35 cents since April 10, is the highest seen by the survey since late November, but is still nearly 93 cents lower than a year ago.
Rises in crude oil prices over the three-week period were not driven by changes in oil supplies, said Trilby Lundberg, publisher of the survey, but rather were caused by a recent weakening of the dollar against key foreign currencies.
Prices should remain relatively low for the coming summer driving season. "The chances are high that there will be small or negligible price rises from here in the national average, assuming no crude oil price spike in the near future," Lundberg said.
The price increase for the nation would have been substantially smaller if not for significant hikes in California, the state with the highest gasoline consumption, and the rest of the West Coast, Lundberg said.
