Drivers across the Golden State will pay the highest gas prices in more than five years, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
Despite the national gas price averages stabilizing following the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, AAA indicated Monday that the insurance company expects more than 37 million drivers to travel this Memorial Day weekend, mostly by car and plane.
"That is a 60% increase over last year’s holiday and a strong indication that summer travel is going to be largely popular," said Jeanette McGee, AAA spokesperson. “With the increase in travel demand, gas prices are going to be expensive no matter where you fill up, so plan ahead. The AAA app can help to find the best price.”
The national average is roughly $3.00 which hasn't been that high since 2014. In the Golden State, however, drivers have endured a steady increase over the past month and half. California was among the nation's largest gas price increases this past week with a rise of 3 cents across the state.
Gas in California is significantly higher than the rest of the United States, according to estimates by AAA. The roughly $4.40 a gallon for premium dwarves the next costliest state, Hawaii, by about three cents.
However, gas prices ended 2014 at the lowest rates since 2009, according to estimates by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That year, prices on the West Coast were the last to drop below $4 and the Golden State experienced a wider fluctuation in prices that year than surrounding West Coast states.
The Colonial Pipeline cyberattack, which was reportedly perpetrated by a cyber-criminal gang called DarkSide, hit one of the East Coast's largest pipelines in early May.
The organization claimed on its website that it was purely motivated by money rather than any political intentions.