ROANOKE, Va. – According to a new report from GasBuddy, the average price for regular gas in Virginia on Sunday was $2.96 per gallon, up just over a penny from the previous week. In Roanoke, prices ranged from $2.65 to $3.16 per gallon , a 51-cent difference.

Diesel prices have also crept up slightly, with the national average hitting $3.50 per gallon , up nearly 3 cents from last week.

For many local drivers, the fluctuating prices are still frustrating.

“When are we going to stand up and say, hey, gas prices shouldn’t be $4 a gallon?” said Thomas Crigger, who was parked at a local gas station. “It should only be a dollar, maybe two. Anything above that is just greed.”

Across Virginia, some stations are charging as low as $2.47 per gallon, while others are nearing $4, according to GasBuddy. Nationally, the average price has also inched up from last week, now sitting at $3.14 per gallon.

Still, despite the recent upticks, analysts say the overall outlook is positive for travelers.

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“If you adjust for inflation, Americans are not working nearly as hard to fill their tanks as they were just a couple of years ago,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “So, it’s certainly not a bad summer to hit the road. Gas prices this summer are likely to be at their lowest level since the pandemic.”

Statewide, prices remain 43 cents lower than this time last year, providing some relief as millions prepare for Memorial Day trips.

“Obviously, I like that it’s going down overall,” said Molly Besso, a Roanoke driver filling up at a local station. “But it’s hard week to week because you don’t really think about the year-to-year as much. Week to week, I always try to make sure I have room in the budget for gas and groceries, and I just try to balance between those.”

AAA predicts nearly 1.23 million Virginians will travel over this Memorial Day weekend. For those drivers, analysts say shopping around for gas and comparing prices could make a real difference in how far your dollar goes.