AAA predicts highest Memorial Day Weekend prices in 7 years

It’s no big surprise but gas prices are rising in advance of the Memorial Day weekend, rising to above $3 per gallon for unleaded regular in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek.  Triple-A says Memorial Day travelers will pay the highest gas prices since 2014.  Triple-A and Gas Buddy say the average gas price in Michigan is $2.95.

According to Gas Buddy, as of Tuesday morning, gas prices in Battle Creek for unleaded regular ranged from $2.69 at the Circle K on East Columbia to $3.09 at the Marathon C-Store on East Columbia.

Kalamazoo prices ranged from $2.69 at the Speedway on Sprinkle Road to $3.09 at the Shell stations on Cork Street, South Westnedge, and downtown.  Kalamazoo’s Tuesday average was $2.89.

Expect those prices to bump to $3.00 or more, as many on Tuesday are already raising the cost per gallon.

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Gas Buddy Head of Petroleum Analysis, Patrick De Haan, has this prediction for summer gas price trends.

“Summer tends to be higher in terms of price and it’s simply because more people are on the road during summer. Due to the huge drop in demand last year for oil and the massive price drop, oil producers greatly scaled back but didn’t plan on demand bouncing back so much this year, so supply has not matched the rise in demand, a factor that could raise summer prices higher this year than recent years until oil producers start ramping back up. The national average is expected to be $2.98 on Memorial Day, and likely to stay in the upper $2 per gallon range or even a low $3 per gallon range as we approach midsummer, should gasoline demand rise to near-record levels. However, that could change depending on any change in the COVID-19 pandemic.”