Gas prices in the Los Angeles area rose for the fifth straight week on Friday, and the combination of seasonal increases and uncertainties about gas supply could push the average price near $3 per gallon by the end of April, said the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area jumped 9.1 cents to $2.842 on Friday. Last Friday, they climbed 2.3 cents to $2.751. The price was $2.528 per gallon one month ago and $2.541 one year prior. Prices haven’t hit a new record high since Sept. 6, when they reached $2.999.

“We’re in the time of year when steep price increases are common, but this year prices are being boosted by speculation about whether there will be sufficient gasoline supplies for later in the year,” said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. “It may be several weeks before a clear picture develops on the nation’s gasoline production, but in the meantime, prices could climb to near $3 per gallon.”

The Orange County area had the lowest average price in Southern California, even with a 9.4-cent increase to $2.803. The Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc area had the highest gas price, rising 7.7 cents to $2.924.

The Weekend Gas Watch monitors the average price of gasoline each Friday.