Gas Prices in Montana Continue to Rise With No End in Sight

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Summer season in Montana is well underway and many motorists are hitting the road to have some fun. Unfortunately, gas prices don’t seem to be cooperating. According to GasBuddy’s survey of 615 stations in Montana, the average gasoline prices in Montana have risen 1.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.75 per gallon. 

Patrick DeHaan is the head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy and he said prices in Montana are 5.7 cents per gallon higher than a month ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana was priced at $3.39 per gallon while the most expensive was $4.59 per gallon. 

Specifically in Missoula, several stations raised their prices to $3.79 per gallon this week.

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According to DeHaan, the national average price of gasoline has risen 2.1 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.55 per gallon, which is 20 cents less than Montana’s average. The national average data is compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country. 

DeHaan said he has been surprised by the national average this summer.

"For another week, we saw little meaningful change in the national average, which has been stuck in the same 10-cent range we're in today since April,” DeHaan said. “It's been a remarkably quiet summer for gas prices, which have been far less active than normal. However, with tremendous heat gripping much of the country, I remain concerned about the fuel that such high temperatures will provide for tropical systems that venture into the Atlantic and Caribbean.” 

For now, DeHaan doesn’t expect much change when it comes to gas prices, but he acknowledged that gasoline demand is now hitting its summer high. He said there remain some risks that could disturb gas prices in a significant way before summer ends.