Gas prices up due to arctic cold

Lexington, Ky (WTVQ): Governor Andy Beshear has declared a state of emergency due to the severe weather also protecting Kentuckians from overpriced services and goods.

Lori Weaver Hawkins, Public Affairs Manager for AAA, says often times prices go up due to anticipation of the bad weather ahead. Hawkins says severe weather can affect the refineries and the transport system directly impacting gas prices. Here in Lexington, “there’s a large increase. I think we’re up about 13 cents just from over the past week,” Hawkins said. She says overall Kentucky is now averaging about $2.89 a gallon. That’s about 7 cents higher than just last week. Hawkins says- prices have a tendency of spiking up faster than they go down.

WTVQ spoke to several Kentuckians braving the weather about the rising price of gasoline. Kasey Coon was traveling from Georgetown. Coon says, “Save money for the snowy days, save money for the icy days that’s what you need to do. It’s rough now I spend a lot more money on gas, and icy road conditions is something you got to watch out for, because repairing your car is not cheap” Coon said.

Now, when you stop at a gas station in Lexington, you’ll see the price for a gallon at around $3. Ashley Wilson made the trip with her husband from Frankfort. “I noticed when gas prices go up it tends to affect our budget,” she said. “So, I would hope that they can get to a point where they’re more leveled out and they’re not going to vary so much. Because sometimes it’s hard to make a budget when you don’t know what it’s going to be,” Wilson said

Betty Carver was traveling from Richmond.  “I wish they would lower them for younger people,” she said. “Because these people out here they work so hard for their money.”

But as the temperatures go back to a more normal level for this time of year Hawkins says the gas prices should too. “Lower prices on just about everything hopefully for the future,” Coon said.

Hawkins says normally winter is when we see gas prices lower than the summer that’s due to less demand, and a lower cost of winter blend compared to summer blend gas, but, of course the arctic cold is the exception.