With Easter weekend just around the corner, surging prices for gasoline and jet fuel are making travel more expensive.

Due to its overlap with spring break for some school districts, roads can get noticeably busier during Easter weekend. Unfortunately for travelers, however, March marked the month with the largest 30-day surge in gas prices in more than five years, according to data from the American Automobile Association. 

The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline surpassed $4 for the first time since 2022 on March 31, according to the association. The price has only crept up since then, reaching $4.091 per gallon as of April 3 — over $1 higher than it was one month ago.

As the ongoing U.S. war with Iran extends the near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — a major global shipping route through which 20% of the world’s oil is transported — crude oil prices have surpassed $100 per barrel.

Jet fuel rates — which make up the largest expense for airlines after labor costs — have also risen since the war began. Some airlines have responded by raising fares and bag fees, according to reporting by Business Insider.

Still, U.S. airlines were reporting strong spring travel demand despite the surge in fuel prices. This suggests that — rather than cancelling trips — travelers have been more focused on tighter budgeting to offset fuel costs.

Tom Foley, director of business intelligence for Inntopia, said Colorado destination markets are likely on track to see average-to-lower visitation for the Easter travel period.

“We’re looking at an Easter weekend that is pretty much flat or down, with some gains for the Thursday-Friday next week,” Foley said. “But there’s nothing really dramatic going on.”

The potential for lower tourism to resort markets could be credited to a variety of factors, Foley said, including this winter’s weak snowfall and the early closure of ski resorts, including seven that are scheduled to close on Easter weekend.

“The week that follows the Easter holiday is actually usually busier than the Easter holiday itself,” Foley said. “So normally (resorts) would try to stay open until (April 12), it’s just the conditions aren’t there.”

Fortunately for Colorado, Easter travel isn’t traditionally as big of a revenue driver as other summer dates, which so far are seeing positive booking demand.

“Typically, the overall occupancy levels around the Easter period are somewhere around 30-35%,” Foley said. “At that point, things are winding down, and people have maybe done their spring skiing. It really depends largely upon snow and what the weather conditions are down the hill.”

In March, Colorado AAA regional director Skyler McKinley told the Aspen Times that gas prices would continue to rise heading into the warmer months, though the extent would depend on the length of the route’s closure.

While Colorado’s statewide average is sitting at a more comfortable $3.846 as of April 3, the same can’t be said for some of the state’s rural areas. Gas prices are elevated in the high country because of the labor and equipment required to transport gas through the mountains, as well as the lack of competition between stations, McKinley said.

Colorado’s rural ski towns have seen a significant increase in gas prices over the past month. Pitkin County’s average price is currently the highest in the state at $5.467 per gallon. Other Western Slope counties with prices higher than the state average include Garfield ($4.260), Eagle ($4.245), Routt ($4.214), Summit ($4.158) and Grand ($4.113) counties.

Glenwood Springs, for example, hit an average regular gas price of $4.404 on April 3, roughly 90 cents higher than one month ago. Diesel has seen a greater uptick in prices, costing $1.23 more than in early March at $5.249 per gallon.

“With gasoline prices nationally up over $1 per gallon from where they were a month ago, there’s bound to be some pullback on how consumers are behaving, whether or not that pullback is related to the affordability factor of a trip … is hard to say,” Foley said.

Gasoline demand in the U.S. decreased from 8.92 million barrels per day to 8.68 million during the last week of March, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Total domestic gasoline supply decreased from 241.4 million barrels to 240.9 million.

Meanwhile, the national average cost per kilowatt hour of electricity at a public electric vehicle charging station stayed the same since last week at 41 cents, according to the American Automobile Association.

The country’s highest recorded average price for gas is $4.920, set in 2022. The price surge was blamed on a combination of factors, including heightened post-pandemic demand and supply constraints driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.