Southern California gas prices highest in 14 months; expected to go higher

CERRITOS, Calif. (KABC) -- The pain at the pump was bound to return. Southern California gas prices are the highest they've been since January of 2016 with averages of $3.05 and $3.06 per gallon across Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Marie Montgomery, a spokesperson for AAA, said prices spiked 30 cents of over that last month and have gone up about a penny a day for the last week.

Prices are expected increase even more during the transition from winter to summer blends.

"Summer gasoline is made with more additives. It's designed to burn cleaner in hotter temperatures," Montgomery explained.

Finding the cheapest price for gas has been made easier with apps from AAA and GasBuddy, which can use a driver's location and tell them where to go.

"More money out of your pocket, less money for other things. Gas is too high, gas needs to go down," Compton resident Sharde Hull said.

The pricing forecast remains less than ideal, according to Montgomery.

"Oil industry analysts are saying that definitely, 2017 drivers will be paying more than we did last year and probably more than in 2015 as well," she stated.