FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – You may have noticed a jump in gas prices on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Many gas stations in the Summit City have hiked up to $3.29 as of Wednesday. Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, said this is normal for a price cycle in the spring time. This cy
cle was a $0.20 increase over the last, which he attributes to their switch to "summer gasoline".
Summer Gasoline vs Winter Gasoline
Stations began using summer gasoline on Monday, which De Haan said is more expensive than winter gasoline. Gasoline used in the winter has more butane, which is plentiful and cheap, bringing down gas prices. Butane has a low boiling point, which means it starts to evaporate more and more with warmer weather.
This results in ground-level ozone pollution which is harmful to humans and the environment. Butane's high vapor pressure makes its use in gasoline blends mostly seasonal to lessen gasoline emissions.
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Gas Price Predictions
De Haan believes gas prices will remain in the $3 range for most of 2025. He said it's possible to see prices below $3 in the next two weeks before their next cycle. But after the next cycle, the higher prices are likely to stay for the season.
"Generally, each cycle happens in seven to 10 days and there are peaks and valleys. Usually about a week after prices jump, they jump again. So if you can time it, wait. Because after prices go up, they'll start to go down for another week or so."
According to GasBuddy, the national average is $3.08. In Fort Wayne, the average is $3.12, which is expected to increase as more stations switch to $3.29. The national average is down from last year's totals.
Tariffs and Other Gas Price Contributors
De Haan said the impact of tariffs and a possible trade war are uncertain.
"If you've been watching the stock market, oil prices have also been going down because of the concern and uncertainty over the economy. So the impact of tariffs themselves may be offset if the economy does start to slow down and we see a mild recession... it's tough to navigate the balance of, will tariffs impact prices, or will the economic slowdown basically completely offset the tariffs?"
Demand is also going up this time of year. Americans are getting out more with warmer weather and students are going on spring break. In addition, refineries are normally doing maintenance between the winter and spring time, which contributes to gas prices in some cases, according to De Haan. ...read more read less
