BAY AREA GAS PRICES SPIKE, NOW APPROACHING $6 A GALLON

Gas prices across the Bay Area this week have seen a significant spike and are approaching $6 a gallon on average, according to the latest AAA data. Prices in the region's three largest cities Wednesday jumped from the previous day, with San Francisco's average price up 14 cents to $5.81, San Jose's up 11 cents to $5.69 and Oakland's up 9 cents to $5.71 over the past 24 hours, according to AAA.

Surprisingly, Bay Area prices are below the state average, which as of Wednesday morning was $5.89, AAA data shows. The national average stood at $3.83.

Those city averages also are down from the same week a year ago, when San Francisco was at $6.09, San Jose was at $5.96 and Oakland stood at $5.98. Across the state, counties in Southern California already were past the $6 mark, with average prices ranging from $6.01 in Santa Barbara County to $6.10 in San Diego County to $6.16 in Los Angeles County.

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