Average cost of gas rises to $3.93 a gallon in Nevada, AAA reports

By Conor Shine

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 | 2:01 p.m.

Troubles at California refineries in the past weeks have sent gas prices soaring in Northern Nevada, according to the AAA auto club’s monthly report.

Fuel prices in the southern part of the state saw smaller increases, but the average price of a gallon of gasoline in Nevada still rose to $3.93, a 12-cent increase compared last month.

Nationally, the average price dropped two cents to $3.82, which is still higher than the $3.40 consumers were paying for gas at this time last year.

A power outage last week at a refinery in southern California sent gas prices “through the roof” throughout the Golden State and in Northern Nevada, AAA said.

Drivers saw the average gas price in Reno jump 19 cents from last month, to $4.24.

In Sparks, a gallon of gasoline costs $4.28 on average, a 21-cent increase from last month and the highest price in the state.

Southern Nevada saw gas prices rise by a much smaller amount. In Las Vegas, fuel costs an average of $3.77 per gallon, a 7-cent increase from last month.

Gas prices averaged $3.78 per gallon in Henderson, a 7-cent increase, and $3.73 per gallon in North Las Vegas, a 9-cent increase.

Eureka, Calif., has the highest gas prices in the country at an average cost of $4.80, while prices in Los Angeles average $4.71, a 53-cent increase in the last month.