Gas prices in the Los Angeles area rose for the third consecutive week on Friday, and price increases are expected to continue for the next few weeks, said the Automobile Club of Southern California.

The average price for regular self-serve unleaded gasoline in the Los Angeles-Long Beach area climbed 9.9 cents to $2.728 on Friday. Last Friday, they edged up 4.9 cents to $2.629. The price was $2.514 per gallon one month ago and $2.382 one year prior. Prices haven’t hit a new record high since Sept. 6, when they reached $2.999.

“Prices in most parts of the region increased more than a penny per day during the past week, and we expect that prices will continue to rise for the next few weeks,” said Auto Club spokesperson Carol Thorp. “More regions in the country are using ethanol in summer blend gasoline to meet federal clean air standards, and prices are going up as supplies of this additive are being stretched.”

The Orange County area had the lowest average price in Southern California, gaining 9.6 cents to $2.697. The Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-Lompoc area had the highest gas price, jumping 7.9 cents to $2.829.

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