Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp Share via Email Share via SMS Copy LinkCALIF./NEV. – While the national average for a gallon of gasoline held steady this week at $4.09, Californians and Nevadans continue to face rising prices. Nationwide, gas prices are nearly a dollar higher than they were this time last year, driven largely by crude oil prices hovering around $80 per barrel amid lingering instability along the Strait of Hormuz. “However, elevated crude oil prices could prevent that seasonal shift from starting just yet.” At 404.5 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 7% below the five-year average for this time of year.