Gas prices push toward record levels in Colorado

As the Easter weekend approaches, gasoline prices are hovering near record highs in some Front Range towns.

According to AAA of Colorado’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report this morning, the average price for regular unleaded self-service fuel was $1.777 in Colorado Springs, a tick below the $1.784 record set on March 30 and 17 cents a gallon higher than last year.

In the Boulder-Longmont area, the average price hit $1.762 today, closing in on its record price of $1.797 set June 6, 2001. Boulder-Longmont prices are up 16 cents over a year ago.

In Northern Colorado, prices are lower. The average for the Fort Collins-Loveland area is $1.717, up from $1.63 one year ago but still well below the record price of $1.848 reported on June 1, 2001.

Greeley’s average price today is $1.687, down from $1.712 on Wednesday. Last year on this date the Greeley average was $1.607. The record price in Greeley was $1.869 set on May 30, 2001.

The statewide average this morning was $1.774, up from $1.627 a year ago and a nearing the record of $1.820 set June 5, 2001.

In Colorado’s resort communities, prices have eclipsed $2 per gallon. Vail reported $2.073 per gallon this morning, still below its record of $2.147 from May 29, 2001 but up 18 cents over a year ago on this day.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast today that U.S. gasoline prices will average a record high $1.76 a gallon this summer nationwide, up 20 cents from last year.

The hike will be “due to high crude oil costs, strong gasoline demand, low gasoline inventories and stricter regional gasoline specifications,” the EIA said in a news release.

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