Gas Prices Continue to Rise in Watsonville

On Tuesday, Patch reported the top five cheapest gas stations in Watsonville, with prices ranging from $3.99 to $4.09 for a gallon of regular fuel. 

Today, those numbers are but a distant memory, as pump prices have shot up by 36 cents. The cheapest gas station in Watonville is now the Quik Stop on East Lake and Holohan Drive, with a pump price of $4.15, according to the data at Gasbuddy.com. It only goes up from there, with prices as high as $4.75 at the 76 on Freedom Boulevard.

Across California, residents awoke to find that gas prices had increased.  The state average is now $4.56, which is well above the national average of $3.79.

The sharp rise has been attributed to decrease supply coming out of California's refineries, including the Chevron refinery in Richmond.

If you plan to shop around for gas, here's Patch's handy gas guide.

How will you cope with the increase in prices? Will you drive less? Will you use alternate modes, like a bike? Will you carpool to work?