With crude futures just dipping below $60 a barrel, gas prices in the Los Angeles area continued climbing for the fourth straight week the first time that has happened since stabilizing in mid-April, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

The average gallon of self-serve regular in the Los Angeles area was $2.523 for the week ended July 11, up from $2.457 the previous week. Prices rose nearly 7 cents and are now around 32 cents higher than year-ago levels.

Statewide gas prices bumped up about 7 cents for the week to an average of $2.525 per gallon. They are nearly 33 cents higher than one year ago.

California still had the highest gas prices in the nation, and San Francisco outpaced L.A. as the priciest city surveyed for the third week in a row. San Francisco gained about 6 cents to $2.575.

Texas was the lowest-priced state, at $2.225 per gallon, and the city with cheapest gas was again Houston, at $2.188 per gallon.