International Issues Cold, Weather Impacting Fuel Prices

A New Year, and the same old trend for fuel prices. AAA said oil prices continue to march higher, a trend we’ve seen for the past few months. Marie Dodds with AAA said international issues, namely OPEC’s continued production cuts and unrest in Iran have pressured oil prices higher, which has trickled to diesel and gasoline prices. However, Dodds said this too shall end.

“AAA is projecting that oil prices should settle down later this year, especially as we get closer to the end of the first quarter and in to the second quarter.”

According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of diesel increased four cents in the past week to $2.90, the Washington average ticket higher by one cent to $3.15, while Oregon’s rate increased two cents this week to $3.04. Dodds told the Washington Ag Network added the extreme weather gripping the eastern half of the country has already started to have an impact on your price at the pump.

“Demand for heating oil is up significantly and as you know diesel is much the same as heating oil. So anytime we have very cold weather and extended cold snaps we tend to see diesel prices climb as well.”

Here are some of the lowest diesel prices we could find across the Inland Northwest: