Drivers are feeling the burden as gas prices soar
Drivers across the country are reacting to rising gas prices as costs rise and frustration mounts in cities like Los Angeles.
- Gasoline prices are rising across the United States, with the national average at $3.63 per gallon.
- The recent price hike is related to the US attack on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Future winter storms in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes could cause gas prices to rise again.
As winter weather returns to many parts of the United States, motorists already reeling from soaring gas prices could face even higher prices.
Although most of the East Coast has briefly warmed up, blowing snow is expected in the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, with heavy snow possible in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
The average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the United States on Friday, March 13th was $3.63, according to the AAA Auto Club. That’s up from an average of $3.32 a week ago, on March 6, and a year ago, on March 13, 2025, of $3.07, the group said.
“In just one week, consumers have seen gasoline prices rise at the fastest pace in years, after oil prices soared in response to the U.S. attack on Iran and the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Patrick de Haan, head of oil analysis at Gasbuddy, said in a March 9 blog post.
Now, with winter weather returning in some parts of the country, many of those same drivers could face even higher prices at the pump.
With all of this in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team looked at average gas prices during other winter storms to see the impact they had on gas prices during those times.
What happened to gas prices the last time there was a big snowstorm in many parts of the country?
In January and February 2026, two winter storms dumped several inches of snow and sleet on much of the East Coast, with cities like New York City and Philadelphia receiving more than a foot of snow. The storm caused supply disruptions that pushed the national average price of gasoline to $2.87 per gallon at the time, according to AAA.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas in January 2026 was $2.81, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Here’s what happened to gas prices in the months before and after.
- Gas price before the storm: $2.89
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $2.81
- Gas price after 1 month: $2.91
What happened to gas prices during other big snowstorms?
December 2022: Winter storms in the Midwest, Great Lakes, and New England.
- Pre-storm gas price: $3.69
- Gas price immediately after storm: $3.21
- Gas price after 1 month: $3.40
March 2021: Snowstorm in the Pacific Northwest, Western US, Rocky Mountains, Midwest US, and New England
- Gas price before the storm: $2.50
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $2.81
- Gas price after 1 month: $2.86
January 2016: Snowstorm in Pacific Northwest, Great Plains, South Central U.S., and Eastern U.S.
- Pre-storm gasoline price: $2.04
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $1.95
- Gas price after 1 month: $1.76
