PITTSBURGH — The average price of gasoline across Western Pennsylvania is a penny higher this week at $2.354 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

While pump price volatility in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast region is low compared to other regions, there were significant pump price jumps on the week. West Virginia ($2.03) and Virginia ($1.86) saw the largest increases at nine cents and seven cents, respectively, followed by Maryland (+7 cents) and Kentucky. New York (+1 cent), which just started to open from COVID-19 lockdowns in the last week, saw the smallest increase.

With a nearly 1-million-barrel build, regional gasoline inventory sits at 75.1 million barrels, according to Energy Information Administration (EIA) data. That is the second highest stock level in the country and the highest level for the region since February 2017. It’s likely the region could see continued spikes at the pump in the week ahead as demand builds and motorists return to the road in larger numbers.

The average price of unleaded self-serve gasoline in Bradford is $2.347; in Brookville, $2.359; in DuBois, $2.359; in Erie, $2.351; and in Warren, $2.359.

As summer creeps in and COVID-19 restrictions are easing, more and more motorists are filling up. Since mid-May, gasoline demand has increased 18% to 7.9 million b/d, according to the latest EIA report. The slow, but steady rise in demand has pushed the national pump price more expensive by 13% in the same timeframe. Today’s national average is $2.10. That is seven cents more on the week, 24 cents more on the month, but 59 cents cheaper on the year.

It is likely that as more Americans begin to consume gas, higher demand will contribute to increasing gas prices in the coming weeks. However, they aren’t going to spike to typical summer prices, since demand won’t be sufficient enough to drive down stocks levels. Nationwide, gasoline stocks sit at a significant surplus of nearly 24 million barrels year-over-year.