The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline spiked 13 cents over the past two weeks, to $3.44 per gallon.

The price at the pump is $1.22 higher than a year ago. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey says Sunday the rise comes as the cost of crude oil surges.

Nationwide, the highest average price for regular-grade gas is in the San Francisco Bay Area, at $4.65 per gallon. The lowest average is in Houston, at $2.91 per gallon.

At stations across the Centre area we saw prices averaging between $3.14-$3.19 per gallon.

The survey says the average price of diesel jumped 14 cents to $3.59 a gallon.