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Will SC gas prices continue to spike like the last 5 weeks? Which counties have the cheapest gas?

Motorists hoping for gas prices in South Carolina to tumble anytime soon are in for a rude awakening.

Like the rest of the nation, gas prices in South Carolina have crept up steadily over the last five weeks, a trend that is likely to continue into February at least, some industry experts say.

“January’s weather was relatively mild in much of the nation, which led to more drivers hitting the road,” Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, said in a Monday press release. “However, a return of wintry conditions in February may see a revival of seasonal driving patterns, but with the cost of oil stubbornly hovering around $80 per barrel, drivers probably won’t catch a big break at the pump over the next week or two.”

According to AAA South Carolina, a regular gallon of gasoline cost $3.26 on average in the state on Monday, up from $2.91 a month ago and $3.08 a year ago.

The national average was $3.50 a gallon on Monday, up about $0.33 from a month ago and $0.14 from a year ago.

“The national average price of gasoline has risen for the fifth straight week as retailers pass along the rise in wholesale gasoline prices due to continued challenges: refinery utilization that still hasn’t fully recovered from December’s cold weather, and refinery maintenance season that’s just around the corner,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said on Monday. “There appears to be little good news on the gas price front, with prices unlikely to turn around any time soon.”

De Haan added that because of the price surges last spring, many refineries that had planned maintenance postponed it until 2023.

“With the can kicked to this year, we may have similar challenges producing enough refined products to meet demand, especially with the European Union cutting off refined products from Russia starting Feb. 5,” he said.

AAA statistics show that Abbeville, at $3.16 a gallon, was the South Carolina county with the cheapest average gas price on Monday. Lee County had the most expensive on average at $3.43 a gallon.

Check out the map below to see how much gasoline costs on average across South Carolina.