Gas prices in southeast Wisconsin; what caused recent spike

MILWAUKEE - The price of a gallon of gas spiked over the last few days and may have prompted you to ask what caused the increase. GasBuddy is offering an explanation. 

Prices at the pump

What we know:

Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said this latest increase has nothing to do with politics or tariffs. 

In a news release, De Haan said this "is instead the result of seasonality, and is something that happens almost every year. Concerns over refinery maintenance have been muted so far this year, largely due to broader concerns about the U.S. economy, and demand remains soft. However, for those in the Northeastern U.S. who have enjoyed relatively low gas prices compared to the national average, the final step in the transition to summer gasoline is still a few weeks away. Once it occurs, they too will likely see prices rise. For areas that have already completed the switch, ongoing economic uncertainty will likely prevent further major increases— for now."

Average prices

What we know:

GasBuddy reports average gasoline prices in Milwaukee have risen 28.4 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.02/g today, according to GasBuddy's survey of 615 stations in Milwaukee. Prices in Milwaukee are 29.0 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 47.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago. The national average price of diesel has decreased 0.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.549 per gallon.

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According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Milwaukee was priced at $2.57/g yesterday while the most expensive was $3.39/g, a difference of 82.0 cents per gallon. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.57/g while the highest was $3.49/g, a difference of 92.0 cents per gallon.

The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.08/g today. The national average is down 1.6 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 42.5 cents per gallon lower than a year ago, according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million weekly price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country.