L.A. gas prices rose past the $2.50 mark as motorists endured the fourth consecutive week of increases at the pump, said the Automobile Club of Southern California. Since the beginning of 2006, the average price in the L.A. metro area has increased 27 cents per gallon.

The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area rose 5.9 cents to $2.509 on Friday from $2.450 one week ago. Last Friday, they climbed 4.6 cents. The price was $2.235 per gallon one month ago and $1.998 one year prior. Prices haven’t hit a new record high since Sept. 6.

“Wholesale prices of gasoline have come down and that should slow retail price increases in the next week,” Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp said. “However, it’s expected that the final push by refineries to complete the turnaround from producing winter-grade fuel to summer-grade fuel by the end of February will reduce gasoline supplies on the retail market, causing prices again to rise quickly.”

The Orange County area had the lowest average price in Southern California, jumping 7.1 cents to $2.479. The Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc area had the highest gas price, edging up 5.9 cents to $2.651.

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