In an interview with CNBC this week, Richard Hastings, strategist at Global Hunter Securities in Charlotte, N.C., said a weak U.S. dollar is contributing to rising gas prices and that damage to refineries from a bad hurricane could force prices to more than $6 per gallon this year.
Gas stations in states such as California, Hawaii and Florida have already started charging more than $5 per gallon in isolated cases, and CNN.com reported that a gas station in Orlando was charging $5.69 per gallon of regular gas. That currently is the highest price per gallon in the country.
Gas prices across the country average $3.86 per gallon for regular gas right now, according to AAA Fuel Gauge Report. That is more than $1 per gallon higher than this time last year, potentially setting up a very expensive summer driving season.
