By: Knox Graham
 
JACKSON, Miss.—According to AAA there are two parts to that answer.
 
“Restrictions against Iranian oil have been working and there’s concerns about the fiscal cliff which has lowered the US dollar,” said AAA spokesman Don Redman.
 
And with those restrictions according to Redman, production has only been about 45% of what it usually is in Iran, thusly making supplies lower and prices higher.
 
“The fact that the price of crude went from about $85 to $96 a barrel is why prices have jumped.”
 
And they not only have jumped, they’ve gone up about 20 cents in about 20 days.
 
During the holidays the magnolia state actually saw sub $3.00 per gallon gas.
 
“January and February are usually months were gas prices drop,” added Redman.
 
Unfortunately for Mississippi and the rest of the country that hasn’t been the case.
 
He said that there’s some good news and some bad news about 2013 and the immediate future.
 
“We don’t expect 2013 to set record-highs like 2012 did but we will see prices go even higher, as usual, around March through May.”
 
That means that what you’re paying at the pump currently in the state will likely be about 20 to 30 cents cheaper than what you can expect come April and May.
 
Redman said prices will start to drop slightly and the prices you’re paying now shouldn’t be much higher at least for a few months.