Gasoline prices in Fresno are rising. Here’s why, and where you can find the cheapest price
The cold weather that brutalized Texas last month is being felt indirectly in California, as the southern freeze contributed to an ongoing increase in gasoline prices over the past couple of weeks.
In Fresno, the average retail price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has climbed by about 25 cents per gallon over the past two weeks, from just under $3.25 at the pump to about $3.50 on Monday, according to data from GasBuddy.com.
Average prices in Fresno are now higher than they were a year ago, before the global coronavirus pandemic was felt in the central San Joaquin Valley.
“Gas prices continued to surge last week following cold-weather-related (refinery) shutdowns in Texas,” said Patrick DeHaan, head of petroleum analysis for GasBuddy. “But going forward, the impact from the cold has likely run its course.”
Prices in Fresno are lower than California’s statewide average. GasBuddy reports that the current average price for regular unleaded is about $3.68 per gallon – up from $3.43 two weeks ago, and about 15 cents per gallon higher than the average in the Fresno market.
The national average price on Monday was $2.72 per gallon, GasBuddy reported. GasBuddy data is based on real-time reports from customers of prices found at more than 150,000 stations across the country.
AAA, the auto club, said the February storm pushed 26 U.S. oil refineries offline. Nationwide, refinery utilization fell to 68%, well below the average of 83%, according to Energy Information Administration data cited by AAA.
While the Texas freeze is unlikely to continue to drive fuel prices up, GasBuddy’s DeHaan said, “several other factors will rise in their influence on gas prices again, including the fact that gasoline demand continues up steam.”
Gasoline demand last week nationwide was the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic began “as cases continue to drop and Americans are filling up more,” DeHaan added.
While the average pump price in the Fresno market was about $3.50 per gallon on Monday, the actual prices vary from station to station, and a little bit of looking around could save drivers a few pennies, nickels or dimes.
In the Fresno/Clovis area, the cheapest cash prices reported by GasBuddy for regular unleaded were $3.09 per gallon at three locations in Clovis, at an Arco station near Herndon and Clovis avenues, an Arco station at Willow and Alluvial avenues, and the Costco membership store on Clovis Avenue south of Shaw Avenue; and two stations in southeast Fresno: a Pic N Go convenience store at Maple and Tulare avenues, and the Bizzy Bee convenience store at Peach Avenue and Kings Canyon Road.
The highest gas price in the area was $3.99 per gallon at a Chevron station at Fresno and E streets, just off Highway 99 in downtown Fresno.
Across the central San Joaquin Valley, the lowest price found on GasBuddy on Monday was $2.93 per gallon at a Fastrip convenience store on Visalia Road in the Tulare County community of Farmersville.
Other low prices in the region were $2.97 per gallon at a Fastrip store on Academy Avenue in Sanger; and $2.99 per gallon at an Ideal Mini Mart store in Parlier, in Fresno County, and at the Tachi Palace Casino south of Lemoore in Kings County.
This story was originally published March 1, 2021 at 1:15 PM.
