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Gas prices in Phoenix to rise to highest level in 5 years this Thanksgiving

Gas Buddy experts say refinery issues in California and OPEC tightening supply has caused the spike.

If you think that gas prices are creeping higher as Thanksgiving gets closer --- you’re right. 

In fact, Phoenix will face the highest Thanksgiving gas prices in five years. 

But why? We reached out to the experts at to Gas Buddy to find the facts.

“I’m a mobile DJ for wedding and parties," said Forrestt Fowler. 

Fowler says he always feels the pinch during the Thanksgiving holidays. His DJ business relies on this massive economy van, which costs a lot of cash to fill up.

And that’s a tune that is far from music to his ears.

"Over $100," Fowler said when asked how much it costs to fill up. "If it goes over $3,I don’t even fill it up all the way."

Fowler isn’t alone in his fueling frustration. The Valley will see prices spike to about $3.05 a gallon this Thanksgiving weekend. 

Patrick DeHaan, the head of gas analysis at Gas Buddy, says California is the culprit for our pain at the pump.

“In Phoenix that’s tied to Southern California and that’s where a lot of gas arrives from," he said. 

"But of course, they’ve been marred with refinery issues and power outages in late summer that shut some refineries down temporarily. It’s a story about gasoline production issues on the West Coast,' said DeHaan.

DeHaan says the past five years we’ve seen steady increase in Arizona during the Thanksgiving holiday.

In 2014 it was $2.05 a gallon. In 2015, $2.13 a gallon. Then from 2016 to 2018, it was steady at $2.55 a gallon. 

That’s because OPEC flooded the market with supply. DeHaan says now they’re pulling back

” A lot of why prices are higher than say 2 to 3 years is ago is because of economic strength and OPEC is maintaining a very tight balance of supply and demand," said DeHaan.

As for Forrest Fowler, he says he’s going to go with the flow and keep spinning the tunes.

"You can feel it but it’s part of life I guess. I just roll with the punches," said Fowler.

If you want to find the cheapest gas station near you, here's the Gas Buddy map.

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