$4 Gas Across Maryland As Prices Near Record High, Jump 9 Cents In A Day:

MARYLAND — Gas prices are soaring close to record levels in Maryland as the national average passed $4 per gallon for the first time in more than a decade — and analysts expect costs to keeping climbing.

AAA Mid-Atlantic said the average gas price in Maryland hit $4.04 a gallon Sunday morning, only a penny shy of the state’s all-time high price of $4.05, which was set on July 17, 2008.

The average retail price of a gallon of regular, self-service gasoline in Maryland increased 9 cents overnight, 44 cents in the past week, 65 cents in the past month, and is $1.28 higher than one year ago, according to AAA.

The national average gas price is $4.09 a gallon on Sunday.

The cost of a gallon of mid-grade gas is $4.36, premium gas is $4.63 and diesel fuel is $4.59.

One week ago, the average price for gas in Maryland was $3.59 a gallon.

The painful price at the pump prompted the Taneytown Police Department to post a tongue-in-cheek observation on social media.

"Due to the current gas prices, we will be borrowing one of Washington Township Police Department current horse and buggy units for patrol," the department posted on Facebook. "Thank you in advance for your patience with our future response times."

Russia’s violent invasion of Ukraine has roiled the oil market, causing the global price of oil to spike and leading to higher pump prices in the United States, according to AAA. Gas prices have soared 18 cents since Wednesday and 29 cents since the invasion of Ukraine eight days ago, according to a CNN report.

The average price of a gallon of regular gas Sunday across Maryland are:

• Annapolis: $4.03
• Baltimore City: $4.03
• Baltimore County: $4.031
• Bowie: $4.05
• Frederick: $4.01
• Harford County: $4.01
• Howard County: $4.08
• Montgomery County: $4.12
• Prince George's County: $4.06

The average retail price in the Washington, D.C., metro area also jumped from yesterday’s average. Sunday’s average price in the metro region is $4.09, up 18 cents from Saturday, up 46 cents since last month, and $1.30 more than last year.

“Motorists are feeling the pain at the pump and we’re still months away from the start of the peak summer driving season," said Ragina Cooper Ali, spokesperson for AAA Mid-Atlantic. "Although speculation can run awry, economic indicators continue to point to higher crude oil and gasoline prices for the remainder of winter and into spring.”

Nationally, the average retail price for a gallon of regular, self-service gasoline topped $4.00 per gallon today for the first time since July 25, 2008, up eight cents overnight, 40 cents in the past week, 57 cents in the past month, and is $1.24 higher than one year ago, AAA said.

The increases mark the largest price hikes since Hurricane Katrina hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in 2005, devastating the nation's oil and gas industry, according to CNN.

"This is not the end of it. We're already up another 14 cents on wholesale gas prices this morning," Tom Kloza, a global petroleum analyst, told CNN on Friday. "It's absolutely out of control.”

The price of a gallon of gas varies dramatically based on where you live. In California, the average price for a gallon of gas hit a staggering $5.07 on Friday, according to AAA, making it the first state ever to have an average price above $5 a gallon.

Meanwhile, if you live in Arkansas, a gallon of gas is only $3.45.

Overall, gas prices are up more than $1 from this time last year, according to GasBuddy.com.

The average price for a gallon of regular gas in Maryland is $4.04, according to GasBuddy. That’s lower than AAA’s average price by a few cents.

Currently, Maryland is at the midpoint for gas prices in the nation, according to GasBuddy.