Tri-City Herald

Gas prices are on the rise and will likely keep going up as the spring and summer vacation seasons approach.

There’s good news and bad in the uptick, according to GasBuddy, a smartphone app that tracks prices across the nation.

The increase cost motorists an additional $135 million per day compared to January, and more increases are on the way.

The bad news: Prices rose to an average of $2.58, the highest level since November.

The good news: The West Coast has largely escaped the hikes, for now.

Gas prices rose an average of 12 cents in Washington, 14 cents in Idaho, 15 cents in Oregon and 14 cents in California.

Prices topped $3 a gallon in Seattle, according to gasbuddy.com.

Washington has the third-highest gas taxes in the nation at 49.4 cents per gallon, after No. 1 Pennsylvania (58.7 cents) and No. 2 California (55.22 cents). It is also one of seven states with no individual income tax.

GasBuddy advises motorists to plan on prices rising until to Memorial Day.

That’s when refineries will wrap up maintenance and transition to the cleaner-burning summer formulations required by the Environmental Protection Agency between May 1 and Sept. 15 in most areas.

While refineries are the primary driver of gasoline prices, oil prices play a role too, GasBuddy said.

OPEC countries and Russia have worked to limit output to boost prices, with a boost from U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela.

Oil prices topped $60 a gallon on Wednesday for the first time since September, CNN Business reports.