Gasoline prices went up again over the past 7 days, jumping 6.6 cents per gallon.

Prices now average $3.61/gallon as of Monday, according to GasBuddy’s survey of 4,913 stations in Michigan.

Prices in Michigan are 16.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 10.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

The national average price of diesel has declined 2.9 cents in the last week and stands at $3.99 per gallon.

According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Michigan was priced at $2.67/gallon Sunday while the most expensive was $3.99/gallon, a difference of $1.32/gallon. The lowest price in the state on Sunday was $2.67/gallon while the highest was $3.99/gallon, a difference of $1.32/gallon.

“No April Fools’ joke: the national average price of gasoline has finally slowed a bit after four weeks of notable increases, stalling in the mid-$3.50s for the last week or two, while the average for diesel fell back below $4 per gallon–not a bad week for motorists as rising demand would normally put solid upward pressure on prices,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a company news release. “For now, motorists have a bit of a reprieve from the constant big weekly price jumps. While we seem to be nearing a short-term peak, one word of caution for those in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast: you haven’t yet finished the transition to summer gasoline, so you may experience some sticker shock in a few weeks. Be prepared for somewhat of a punch. For the rest of the nation, so long as we don’t see extenuating circumstances, we’re likey close to a top in prices. Let’s hope it pans out and sticks!”

Well take any reprieve we can get but expect things to change as the weather warms.

Gas prices often — or so it seems — increase just about the time that people are taking to their vehicles for vacations.

With summer approaching, the very recent snowfall notwithstanding, we’d suggest motorists in Superiorland and elsewhere look for and expect increases at the pump.

And following the challenging tourist season the region has experienced, we hope the increases are reasonable.