Winter weather has returned to many parts of the United States, and drivers who are already struggling with rising gas prices may be facing another increase in their costs at the pump.
After a brief flirtation with warm weather across much of the East Coast, a pair of snow storms are forecast for the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, with the potential for heavy snowfall in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.
According to the AAA Auto Club, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the US on Friday, March 13 was $3.63. That’s up from an average of $3.32 a week earlier on March 6 and $3.07 a year earlier on March 13, 2025, the group said.
“In just a week after oil prices soared following the U.S. attacks on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, consumers have seen the sharpest increase in gasoline prices in years,” Patrick de Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a March 9 blog post.
Now many of those same drivers may face another spike in pump prices as winter weather returns to many parts of the country.
With all this in mind, the USA TODAY Cars team took a look at gas price averages during other winter storms to see the impact they had on gas prices at that time.
What happened to gas prices last time there was a major snow storm in many parts of the country?
In January and February 2026, a pair of winter storms dumped several inches of snow and sleet on much of the East Coast, with cities such as New York City and Philadelphia getting more than a foot of snow. According to AAA, the national average price of gas dropped to $2.87 per gallon at that time due to supply disruptions caused by the storm.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in January 2026 was $2.81.
Here’s what happened to gas prices in the months before and after:
- Gas price before the storm: $2.89
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $2.81
- Gas price after one month: $2.91
What happened to gas prices during other big snow storms?
December 2022: Midwestern United States, Great Lakes, New England winter storm
- Gas price before the storm: $3.69
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $3.21
- Gas price after one month: $3.40
March 2021: Pacific Northwest, Western United States, Rocky Mountains, Midwestern United States, New England blizzard
- Gas price before the storm: $2.50
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $2.81
- Gas price after one month: $2.86
January 2016: Pacific Northwest, Great Plains, South Central United States, Eastern United States blizzard
- Gas price before the storm: $2.04
- Gas price immediately after the storm: $1.95
- Gas price after one month: $1.76
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How will the winter storm affect gas prices after Iran war-related spikes?
Reporting by Keith Lang, USA TODAY/USA TODAY
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect