Sticker shock: Gas prices soaring for Sept. 17, diesel ‘outages’ reported in 3 states

NewsThe average gallon of gasoline has jumped by 12 cents since Monday, Sept. 14. Prices are up 37 cents over the last month.Tracey PorporaBy Matt Durr | mattdurr@mlive.comGasoline prices are approaching a record high for 2026 as the average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in the U.S. is $4.43 as of Thursday, Sept. 17. That’s up 12 cents since Monday, Sept. 14 and 16 cents from a week ago, according to AAA. The record high average for unleaded gas in 2026 is $4.56, which was set on May 21. The all-time high is $5.01, which was set on June 14, 2022.Crude oil prices remain over the $100 per barrel mark as the ongoing conflict in Iran continues to impact global oil prices. In particular, instability along the Strait of Hormuz is a major factor in the rising costs. Fuel prices have soared since President Donald Trump authorized military action against Iran at the end of February. Prior to the war, the average gallon of unleaded gas was around $3. This time last year, drivers paid $3.20 a gallon, or $1.23 less per gallon than today. In August, the average price remained above $4 a gallon for the entire month for the first time ever. So far in September, prices have not dipped below $4 a gallon.Along with soaring gas prices, diesel fuel set another record high Thursday, coming in at $6.39 per gallon. The record was broken earlier this month, but prices have continued climbing. Analysts warn that rising diesel prices are sure to drive the price on items used every day by Americans. “And for now, it comes at a time of year when diesel prices also traditionally rise, adding more pain,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “I suggest Americans anticipate a costlier holiday season, as it appears diesel prices could continue climbing as geopolitical tensions continue to remain a main factor.”On Wednesday, motorists in California, Florida and Texas reported multiple gas stations were out of diesel and turned away customers who needed diesel, according to Yahoo. However, in a social media post Wednesday, De Haan warned of “false alarmists” saying that the few outages reported so far are ordinary. “GasBuddy is not seeing any high level outages in our data, nor through our Pay with GasBuddy card. We constantly monitor outages, mainly during hurricanes, but they’re currently within norms at this time,” De Haan wrote. The five most expensive states for unleaded gasoline as of Sept. 17 are:California — $6.08Washington — $5.57Hawaii — $5.48Nevada — $5.19Oregon — $5.11The five least expensive states for unleaded gasoline as of Sept. 17 are:Indiana — $3.92Texas — $3.93Mississippi — $3.93Louisiana — $3.97Alabama — $3.99Matt has been a trending news reporter since 2016. He covers a range of topics while focusing on national lottery, automotive news and recalls, FBI warnings, scam alerts and national real estate trends....