gas prices

The effort to stop buying Russian oil may lead to a spike in gas prices this Winter, especially in Illinois.

Heads up, you just might want to fill your tank today, tomorrow or this weekend if you're out and about in Illinois.

Drivers in Illinois will not be surprised by this. The question is when will they catch a break?

When it comes to goods and services across America, prices for just about everything is at an all-time high.

Unless you ordered food yesterday after new surcharges were added by major food delivery companies (and went into effect), you may not have noticed a price increase.

Before this morning's announcement by President Biden that the United States would stop purchasing Russian oil, the national average for a gallon of gas was $4.06, which is 45 cents more than a week ago, 62 cents more than a month ago and $1.30 more than a year ago.

Because of the current conflict in Ukraine, oil prices are shooting up above $100 a barrel, which will, of course, mean much higher prices at the pump here in Illinois and throughout the country. Just looking at today's news shows that the price per barrel has risen $19.

So Russia invades Ukraine, which causes rising oil prices to surge even further, and makes it an almost certainty that Illinois' gas prices (along with the rest of the country) are about to really go up.

The national average price for a gallon of gas rose sharply last week to $3.48, which is four cents more than a week ago. Here in Rockford, that number is $3.60 per gallon, when last week we were at $3.52.

If you've always thought the weekend was the worst time to buy gas, you're wrong.