As we get closer to the first official day of spring, that also heralds the arrival of another annual rite. Gas prices have spiked up as much as 10 to 15 cents a gallon at a number of area gas stations in the last week or so. Patrick De Haan, with Gas Buddy dot-com, says we’re changing blends…

Oil prices have also risen about 15 dollars a barrel over the last few months. But De Haan says supply and demand is no longer a major factor affecting prices, with the United States now the world’s largest oil producer…

But De Haan says, for a change, nationwide gas prices have jumped even more dramatically than in California, or more than twice as much. Meanwhile, he expects the upward trend to continue for another one to two months, although peaking before the rest of the country.