So seriously, why is my gas at 2.54 A FAWKING GALLON??? It was 2.59 on Thanksgiving.

[Ocelot II]

29. There are many reasons why gas prices fluctuate seasonally or even daily.

The price at the gas station depends on the cost of crude oil; the cost of refining, which includes distillation, conversion, treatment, and blending; the varying demand for gasoline, heating oil, diesel, and jet fuel; the cost of distribution; taxes, and local competition. These costs change all the time. There's also a thing called "crack spread," which is the difference between the cost of crude and the cost of refining ("cracking" ). When the demand for gasoline increases its price rises faster than the cost of crude, widening the spread. Refiners typically increase production, but the high product prices mean gas costs more at the pump. There is less demand for gasoline in the winter, so the spread becomes narrower, meaning there is either more supply or crude is more expensive. A narrow crack spread means lower gas costs.