LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Gasoline prices in Nevada soared 17 percent in the past month, boosting the statewide average to $1.97 a gallon and making the state the third highest in the nation for gas costs, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Automobile Association of America.
Nevada is third behind California and Hawaii.
Nationally, gas prices have jumped 9 cents in the past month to an average of $1.70 per gallon, the survey said.
"Drivers are getting hit with sticker shock at the gas pump," said Sean Comey, a spokesman for AAA Nevada. "These are some of the highest prices ever recorded by AAA."
The price of regular unleaded gas in Las Vegas climbed 33 cents a gallon in the past month to $1.98, and Reno motorists reported a 26-cent-a-gallon increase to $1.97. Carson City reported an average of $1.99 a gallon, up 32 cents.
Some of the state's cheapest gas was found in Elko, where motorists paid $1.76 a gallon.
Continuing uncertainty about the possibility of war in Iraq has helped drive crude oil prices to their highest levels since before the Gulf War, according to a statement by AAA Nevada. The high cost of oil, combined with the effect of lower than normal gasoline supply levels, also is contributing to the rise.
Other Western cities also reported substantial increases. Gas prices in Los Angeles jumped 36 cents a gallon in the past month to an average of $2.08. Phoenix reported one of the largest jumps at 37 cents a gallon to mark an average of $1.86.
------
On the Net:
Automobile Association of America Web site: http://www.aaa.com
