KC area gas prices rise 8.7 cents in a week, up 55 cents in past year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - After several cycles of falling gas prices over recent months, the costs have gone the other way in the Kansas City metro.

Kansas City area gasoline prices rose an average of 8.7 cents this past week, pushing the local average up to $3.33 a gallon, according to numbers compiled by GasBuddy, a company that monitors and analyzes gas stations across the country.

Local prices now stand 55 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

At the same time, the national average fell 3.9 cents this past week, bringing that number to $3.64 per gallon. The national average is down 25.7 cents per gallon from a month ago, and up 45.9 cents from a year ago, according to GasBuddy.

Analysts have been warning that higher gas prices could be coming as we approach fall and winter because of supply and world issues. For the time being, though, most of the country is experiencing lower gas prices relative to what they had to deal with several months ago.

“With a 14th consecutive weekly decline, the national average price of gasoline has now surpassed 2018′s record decline, seeing its longest downward streak since 2015,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “While some states continue to see gas prices trend higher, the majority have continued to decline. However, this week could change the downward trend. With some issues arising in Plains and Great Lakes states as the transition to winter gasoline begins, I think we have the best potential to see the weekly trend of falling prices snapped.”