COLUMBUS, Ohio – Central Ohio drivers are seeing a thaw in gas prices just in time for another round of cold weather that could drive the prices right back up again.
According to the daily survey from the AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and WEX, Inc., the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in Columbus Monday morning was $3.22, 19 cents less than a week ago. The price is about equal to what it was on Jan. 6, before bitter cold weather drive prices up by nearly 20 cents.
Extremely cold weather during the first week of January caused refinery issues, though it also decreased demand for gasoline, AAA public relations manager Michael Green said. The drop in demand did not compensate for the supply issues in some states: Drivers in Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota were paying at least 20 cents more than they were a month ago, Green said.
ColumbusGasPrices.com reports pump prices in most central Ohio communities range between $2.98 and $3.39 a gallon.