The soggy weekend weather didn't just put a damper on some Vancouverites' plans – it might also be to blame for an overnight jump in gas prices.
Drivers who pulled up to the pumps Monday morning saw prices up about four cents, to 130.9 cents a litre at some stations. That increase followed another one cent bump on Saturday.
According to Dan McTeague of price-tracking website GasBuddy.com, both hikes can be blamed on the stormy weather that blew through the Pacific Northwest in recent days.
"The storm itself doesn't create a problem except for the fact that a lot of gasoline that comes into Canada – to Vancouver, to Vancouver Island – is, in fact, brought by barge from several U.S. refineries," McTeague said.
The weather has delayed those shipments, and McTeague estimated it will take a few more days for the barges to start moving again. And the prices aren't likely to drop until they do.
"I don't see this coming down until Wednesday or Thursday of this week. I do believe it will come down, but when is really a matter of speculation at this point," McTeague said.
The U.S. refineries' ability to receive oil, which also comes in by barge, has been impacted as well, he added.
Fortunately, McTeague said he doesn't expect prices to go up even further, at least for now.
Vancouver's gas prices remain among the steepest in Canada, where the average price was 105.1 cents a litre on Monday, but they weren't the highest. Drivers in St. John's were paying 135.9 cents a litre thanks to Newfoundland's recent gas tax hike.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Sheila Scott
