RIVERSIDE — Filling up your gas tank took a bigger bite out of your budget this week — in case you did not notice.

Gasoline prices in Riverside have risen 1.7 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $3.53 per gallon Sunday, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 481 stations in Riverside. This compares with the national average that has increased 1.6 cents per gallon versus last week to $2.84/g, according to GasBuddy.

Average gasoline prices on September 10 in Riverside have ranged widely over the last five years when filling up: $3.10 per gallon in 2017, $2.69 per gallon in 2016, $3.34 per gallon in 2015, $3.75 per gallon in 2014 and $3.85 per gallon in 2013.

Including the change locally during the past week, prices yesterday were 42.7 cents per gallon higher than a year ago and are 0.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. The national average when filling up has dropped 2.4 cents per gallon during the last month and stands 18.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Areas near Riverside and their current gas price climate:

  • San Bernardino — $3.53 per gallon, up 2.1 cents per gallon from last week’s $3.51 per gallon.
  • Orange County — $3.60 per gallon, up 0.6 cents per gallon from last week’s $3.59 per gallon.
  • Los Angeles — $3.65/g, up 1 cent per gallon from last week’s $3.64 per gallon.

“Last week saw a brief and fairly tame rise in the national average, brought on mainly by a select few states where gas prices tend to be volatile. Overall, it was a mostly stable week with some up and down movement state-by-state, but now we await the changeover to winter gasoline that happens this Saturday for some relief at the pump,” Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy, said in a prepared statement. “While Hurricane Florence may pose fuel-related challenges for areas of the East Coast, there is little to no threat to refineries at this time and is thus unlikely to bring measurable impact to the national average price of gasoline, but could bring supply challenges to several states, depending on levels of evacuations and timing of them.

Hurricane season aside, gasoline demand will likely drift lower nearly countrywide, putting some additional downward impact on prices in most communities when filling up over the next few weeks.

For LIVE fuel price averages, click here.