Blame Harvey for rising gas prices in Minnesota

Pumping gas
A driver fills up his gas tank at a service station.
David McNew | Getty Images

Tropical Storm Harvey's battering of southeast Texas is pushing up gas prices for Minnesotans.

AAA says the average price of gas in the state has risen by more than a dime to $2.41 a gallon, reflecting interruptions in fuel supplies.

Pipelines that move gasoline to New York and Chicago have been slowed or stopped because of flooding and damage.

Minnesota's average is likely to continue to go up through the Labor Day weekend said AAA spokesperson Gail Weinholzer.

"I would expect gas prices to continue to rise through the weekend, perhaps as much as another dime to 15 cents, then level off," she said. "And by mid-September, we'll start to see a decline."

Minnesota's typical price at the pump is about a dime less than the national average, reflecting the higher taxes that many states put on gas.

In the Twin Cities, Weinholzer said she has seen prices vary by 10 cents between stations operated by the same company.

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