Gas prices spike ahead of Labor Day weekend travel in Nebraska, Iowa

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Drivers hitting the road for Labor Day weekend are paying more to get there, according to AAA. Gas prices across Nebraska and Iowa have climbed nearly a dollar higher than they were a year ago.

Gas prices in Omaha are sitting at $3.75 a gallon.

“It’s a shock when the prices go up,” one driver said.

Robert Fenster owns Buchanan’s Service Center in Omaha. He said he can tell when prices spike by watching how customers pump their gas.

“You’ll see some people come in and fill up the tank at $5 and $10, maybe $15 at a time, hoping that the price is going to go down a little bit,” Fenster said.

Fenster said that hesitation quickly fades.

“Once people realize that they’ve got to have gas one way or another to get around, they maybe limit what they were doing before,” Fenster said.

He said the holiday weekend brings its own rush. Fenster said the time of day drivers fill up matters.

“If you fill it up when it’s 95 degrees out, you are going to get less in your tank because of expansion. If you fill that tank up first thing in the morning, everything is condensed down, and it’s cooler, and you can get more fuel into your tank,” Fenster said.

“It’s a shock to start with,” another driver said.

AAA Nebraska spokesperson Brian Ortner said the average price in Nebraska has jumped nearly a dollar compared to this time last year.

“When we look at where we were last year across Nebraska, we were at $2.94 per gallon on average compared to $3.92 today,” Ortner said.

AAA reports this August was the highest August on record for gas prices. The group said nationally, prices averaged above $4 a gallon every day last month. Nebraska is also feeling that pain.

“Pack those snacks ahead of time. Going the speed limit rather than five, 10 over, is something that can have an impact on your fuel. And then correct tire pressure in your car as well,” Ortner said.

Fenster and Ortner both said the price drivers pay comes down to timing and planning. Both suggest checking prices along a route before hitting the road this weekend.