Consumers in St. Lawrence County and across the United States are spending $69 more a month on average to fill up compared to last year at this time.

“Motorists can expect to spend at least $250 more on gas this season,” said Elizabeth Carey, AAA Western and central New York director of public relations. “The higher gas prices may just encourage travelers to shorten their driving distance. Others may pinch pennies by eating out less or finding more free family-fun activities while on vacation.”

According to AAA, gasoline expenses are accounting, on average, for seven percent of an American’s 2018 annual income, a one and half percent increase since summer of 2017. With strong summer consumer gasoline demand expected in the months ahead, AAA says motorists can expect little relief at the pump with the national gas price average ranging between $2.85 - $3.05 through Labor Day. The New York State average range is likely to be between $3.01 and $3.21 for the same period.

According to a AAA survey conducted earlier this year, only one in four (25 percent) Northeast respondents said they would change travel plans if gas prices hit $3.00, while 39 percent say $3.50 would be the game changer for their summer plans.

As vacationers hit the road, they will find a quarter (25 percent) of all gas stations across the country are selling gas for more than $3 per gallon. That is a stark difference from one year ago when only 5 percent of stations had the $3 or more mark. The chart below compares the percentage of stations per state selling gas for $3.01 or more today versus one year ago.

In New York, 60 percent of gas stations are selling gas for more than $3 a gallon—compared to 2017 when it was only one percent of stations.